


Coming Home

by Takara_Phoenix



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Adoption, Anal, Bottom!Percy, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mpreg, Percy adopts a daughter of Apollo, Percy has been through hell, Post Miscarriage, Shounen-ai, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-07 00:07:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1877607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/pseuds/Takara_Phoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy left the US after the Giant War, trying to clear his mind and have a new start somewhere else. He ends up in Germany, where he's dating a son of Apollo. Everything basically goes downhill from there on and five years later, he finds himself back in New Rome, with his ex-boyfriend's little sister who he kind of adopted/stole.<br/>Much has happened and Percy has suffered, but Octavian is set on helping the son of Poseidon. Because Percy is not the only one who has changed over the past five years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Return - Die Rückkehr

Title: Coming Home – Being a Family in New Rome

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; set five years post HoO

Disclaimer : All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, mpreg, miscarriage, anal, explicit intercourse, adoption, shoujo-ai, hetero

Main Pairing: Octavian/Percy

Side Pairings: Frank/Hazel, Jason/Reyna, Nico/Leo, Jake/Will, Piper/Annabeth, Paul/Sally, Luke/Percy (past), OMC/Percy (past)

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Jason Grace, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, Piper McLean, Annabeth Chase, Nico di Angelo, Leo Valdez, Chris Rodriguez, Clarisse la Rue, Mrs. O'Leary, Blackjack, Scipio, Arion

Own Characters: Sedanur 'Danny' Aykan/Simmons

Octavercy: Julius Apoll 'Julchen' Simmons, Pandora Octavia 'Panny' Simmons

Jayna: Hercules 'Herc' Grace, Thalia Hylla 'Thyl' Grace, Jupiter Perseus 'JP' Grace

Chrisse: Calandra 'Cally' Rodriguez, Chrysander 'Sander' Rodriguez, Charisma 'Carry' Rodriguez

Frazel: Sammy Marie Zhang, Emily Fey 'Milly' Zhang

Pipabeth: Theadora Tiphane 'Thea' McLean-Chase

Jakill: Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Mason

Niceo: Maria Esperanza 'Festus' Valdez di Angelo

Summary: After the Giant War, Percy Jackson had just disappeared. No one knows where he went, not really at least. They knew he was fine, he called often, but he stayed out of their hair. Until one day, five years after the war, he just appears again in New Rome.

**Coming Home**

_ Being a Patchwork-Family in New Rome _

 

1\. Chapter: The Return – _Die Rückkehr_

 

“Oh, goodness, I love New Rome!”, yelled the redhead with a broad grin.

She whirled around with her arms in the air, taking a deep breath. Her company rolled his eyes.

“Rach, you're behaving like a child again”, noted the blonde man.

“Tavy, you are no fun at all”, grinned Rachel and hung from his arm. “Let's go eating!”

Octavian smiled slightly. He appreciated the fact that his best friend came visiting as often as possible. Actually, he appreciated the fact that he had a best friend to begin with. Back before the Giant War he had always kept to himself. And then the Greeks had not only invaded New Rome, but also his heart. There was that stubborn, beautiful Greek with the most mesmerizing eyes and Octavian had felt his heart beat like never before. It had frightened him, even though he would never admit that. So he had pushed the beauty away. And then the war broke loose, really loose. Nearly three years of fighting. Though the fighting and the pining for the Sea Prince brought him a surprising best friend. The Oracle of Delphi. Somehow the ginger had known, seen the looks Octavian would throw at the son of Poseidon in secrecy. Rachel had always told him he should face his feelings, he should tell the Sea Prince, but Octavian never did. And after the war, Percy Jackson just disappeared. He called, of course, to assure his friends and family that he was fine. But no one had seen him in person for five years now.

“Five years, Tavy”, whispered the redhead worried. “Don't you think it's time to move on?”

“How should I move on? He's the only one that ever made me feel that way”, murmured Octavian.

“And with _that way_ you mean as if you have a heart?”, chuckled Rachel amused.

The blonde rolled his eyes, but he nodded nonetheless. It was true. The great savior of Olympus with his big heart, all the love he held for his friends. It took great influence on the augur. Especially after the Sea Prince had disappeared. First he had only befriended Rachel Elizabeth Dare, but the oracle was pretty persuasive and she soon forced him to befriend the lesbian couple both Rachel and Percy held so dear. The golden couple of Camp Half-Blood, as Piper McLean and Annabeth Chase were called. The two, along with many other former Greeks, had moved to New Rome to live a peaceful adult life. And truth be told, Octavian was glad he had befriended the blonde woman. Because she was the one who received most Iris Messages from the hero. And the daughter of Athena and her girlfriend often came to visit along with the ginger, but since the couple had just recently adopted a little girl, they couldn't leave the baby on their own often.

“How is little Thea?”, asked the augur curiously.

“She's driving her mothers insane”, grinned the ginger amused. “But I guess her god-fathers are at fault for that. Could you imagine a worse influence than Leo Valdez on a little child?”

“Actually, yes”, smirked the blonde. “The combination of the firebug and his boyfriend.”

“Oh yes. You should have seen Piper's face when Thea first came home with a zombie at her hand!”

“I would have loved to see that”, chuckled the Roman.

“You should come visiting again, you know”, hummed the ginger as they neared the restaurant. “You haven't seen Thea in a while. And babies grow so fast. And it would perhaps take your mind off of this whole mess. Five years.”

“It doesn't get better by repeating how long it had been”, grunted the blonde irritated.

They finally arrived at the restaurant and the augur opened the door for the woman. Rachel grinned at the chivalry and entered the beautiful place. It was the coziest little restaurant the oracle had ever seen and she always felt at home here.

“Auntie Rach! Uncle Octy!”, called a loud, happy voice.

Seconds later, there was a little girl with golden eyes hanging from Octavian's waist. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around the child, lifting her up. She giggled broadly, her dark hair frizzly, standing up into all directions.

“Auntie Rach is here? Where? Where?”, screamed another voice.

Rachel nearly collided with the floor at the impact of the miniature version of Jason Grace.

“Hey, Herc”, grinned the redhead and ruffled his hair.

Her eyes scanned the restaurant and soon spotted the boys parents. Reyna and Jason were sitting at a table, smiling at them. The former praetors put their forks down and stood up to great their friends and collect their whirlwind again.

“Hello, Rachel, I didn't know you would visit”, smiled the daughter of Bellona.

Jason glared down at his son and lifted him up so the oracle could stand up again.

“Hercules, what did I tell you about jumping people?”, chided the former praetor.

“Uh... Dunno, daddy”, grinned the boy.

“Would you mind helping me with this one?”, asked Octavian and raised one eyebrow, pointing down at the clingy girl in his arms.

The two-years old giggled happily and clung even more to him. Someone came through the backdoor, a broad and tall man with a white apron, shaking his head at them.

“Sammy, don't suffocate Octavian”, grunted the cook and took the girl off him.

“What's suffoffucat?”, asked the child and blinked adorably.

“Hello, Frank. Where is your wife?”, grinned Rachel and patted Sammy's head.

“Since you stole one of our praetors, she is busy with her duties”, smiled Frank and hugged the redhead with one arm awkwardly. “Nice to see you, Rachel.”

Octavian smirked. He remembered vividly his first encounter with Percy Jackson. Funny how the girl he had threatened back then, the reason for his and Percy's dispute, turned into the strong young woman on whose side he would be praetor. While Jason and Reyna had both given up their praetor-ship to settle down in New Rome and start a family soon after the war, Hazel saw her destiny elsewhere. And Frank was a good househusband.

“How are things with the Greeks?”, asked the daughter of Bellona curiously and motioned for the two new arrivals to sit down with them at their table.

The augur and the oracle obeyed, sitting down with them, and so did Frank. The two children ran off, easily bored by the adults.

“Good, a bit wild with Thea though”, grinned Rachel. “But the kid is adorable.”

“Gods, I feel so old when I hear that”, sighed the son of Jupiter and shook his head. “I still remember vividly how we were teens and saved the world. And now it's diapers and daycare.”

“Yeah”, nodded Frank with a small smile and leaned back in his seat. “I remember how I freed Thanatos from his bounds, back when the war had started...”

“The way I remember it, you wouldn't have been able to free Thanatos without your wife and me.”

Octavian froze as he heard that voice. But it couldn't be. Looking at the shocked expression on Reyna's and Rachel's faces, it was true. The redhead jumped off, knocking her chair back and sprinted over to the door. The augur turned very slowly around to see for himself. It was true. The beautiful boy had grown into a gorgeous young man. The same wonderful sea-green eyes and that black hair that looked soft as silk. He had grown, but not very much, was still smaller than the augur. And he wasn't as muscular as he used to be, years without dangerous quests had done that to many of the former heroes. A soft smile grazed the rosy lips as he hugged the ginger.

“I wouldn't have thought to see you here, Rach”, grinned the son of Poseidon.

He soon found himself in a tight group-hug as Reyna, Jason and Frank joined them. Octavian wanted it too, wanted to touch the Sea Prince, hug him, feel that this was real. But they had never been friends, they had never gotten over their differences.

“What are you doing here?”, asked Frank. “You said you wouldn't return like ever!”

“I've been so worried for you”, whispered Reyna. “Are you alright?”

“What brings you to us Romans? Why not the Greeks? Or have you been there already?”, wanted the son of Jupiter to know.

“Five years! Five years and you just drop by like that!”, hissed Rachel angry.

But the tears in her bright green eyes betrayed her anger and she hugged him even tighter. He chuckled, but didn't answer one of their questions. Octavian observed him and frowned. There was a certain sadness in the beautiful eyes, a sadness that didn't sit right.

“Mama? Mama, can we eat now?”, asked a low, shy voice.

All eyes were drawn to the little girl that stood behind the Sea Prince. The Romans and the oracle let go of Percy to stare at the child. While the son of Poseidon knelt down to lift the girl.

“As far as the sign goes, this is a restaurant, darling. So yeah”, grinned Percy.

“Great! I'm really, really hungrig!”, grinned the girl broadly and hugged him. “Can I have pizza, Mama? Please, ich will pizza! I didn't have pizza since we left Hamburg!” [trans:  _I'm really, really hungry! (...) Please, I want pizza!_ ]

Sea-green eyes looked questioningly at Frank. “Can she have pizza?”

“Of course”, nodded the son of Mars slowly, unsure.

“You think we can sit down?”, chuckled Percy. “I'm kind of tired and exhausted and hungry.”

“Me too, Mama!”, announced the girl loudly.

Octavian blinked with a frown, looking at the girl intensely. She was a pretty kid, with long, blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, wearing a blue dress with ribbons. The augur gulped hard. Percy Jackson had disappeared for five years, a beauty like him, of course he would find a good man and start a family. That must have been the reason Percy had left his old life behind him to begin with. He knew, Octavian knew how _special_ children of Poseidon/Neptune were. The sea, the ever life bringing sea. And the sea's children, equally life bearing. The augur's heart tightened at the thought of his Sea Prince having a child and a guy.

“Hello, Perseus”, greeted the blonde lowly.

Percy sat down next to him and nodded in greeting, lifting the blonde girl up. Frank had left for the kitchen to get something to eat ready for the hungry newly arrivals. The child was eagerly staring at Octavian, reaching her hands out for him. The Sea Prince tried to shun her, but much to his surprise, the augur smiled at the kid and reached out for her too.

“Hello, young lady. I'm Octavian Simmons, and who are you?”

“I'm Sedanur Aykan, but meine Mama always calls me Danny!”, grinned the girl broadly. “Are you related to my daddy? Because you have the same eyes and hair genau wie ich!” [trans: _my mom_ (...) _just like you!_ ]

“And who is your daddy?”, asked the Roman slowly.

“ _Mein Papa ist Apollo_!”, grinned Danny proudly. [trans: _My dad is Apollo!_ ]

That explained why there was no guy having his arms possessively wrapped around the Sea Prince. But Octavian would have never thought Percy would bed a god, much less without protection.

“Percy!”, exclaimed the two females wide-eyed and stared at the demi-god.

Percy frowned at his female friends, noticing the odd looks the men were throwing at him too.

“She's Roman, that's the reason I came here”, said the son of Poseidon slowly, before it dawned on him. “Oh. You think I... No, she's not my daughter!”

“I am!”, pouted Danny with a frown. “Ich bin deine Tochter.” [trans: _I am your daughter_ ]

“Of course you are”, smiled Percy and kissed the top of her head. “But not by blood, _mein Engel_.” [trans: _my angel_ ]

“Where have you been, Percy? And what is going on?”, demanded Jason to know.

He stared at the other child of one of the Big Three intensely, demanding an answer.

“I would love to clear that with the praetors later”, whispered the Sea Prince, looking down at the girl on his lap in indication. “You know, perhaps when Danny can get a place to rest?”

“But I'm not tired, Mama!”, complained the girl. “Nicht ein bisschen!” [trans: _Not even the tiniest bit!_ ]

“You just agreed that you're tired too”, grunted Percy and raised one eyebrow.

“But not anymore! This is exciting! I want to see the city!”, protested Danny widely.

The son of Poseidon sighed exhausted and ran his fingers through his hair. Octavian noticed the black circles beneath the beautiful eyes and how thin the hero was.

“You know what, Danny, I know two very nice kids around your age who would love to show you everything while I talk to your mom”, smiled the augur.

Percy raised one eyebrow at that. Not only because the blonde was being so nice, but more so because of the implication of him being praetor.

“Here we go! One extra big pizza with everything!”, announced Frank as he came back.

Danny cheered at that and Percy licked his lips as if he hadn't eaten in days. The pizza was placed on the middle of the table so everyone could take a slice. The way the Sea Prince ate told the augur that the young man truly hadn't had anything to eat in a while.

“Those bothersome kids, where are they?”, grunted Jason with a frown.

“You mean those two?”, chuckled someone in the doorway. “I found them bothering Terminus.”

“We were not!”, protested Hercules with a pout.

“No, we weren't, mom, really not!”, agreed Sammy on Hazel's other hand.

“Oh my gods, Percy?”, exclaimed the dark-skinned woman suddenly.

Her golden eyes were wide as she stared at the Sea Prince.

“We've been at that point too, yeah”, nodded her husband with a chuckle.

“Hello, I'm Sammy. Who are you?”, asked the youngest of the children and blinked curiously.

“I'm Danny”, grinned the daughter of Apollo broadly, stuffing another slice of pizza into her mouth.

“Can you help me with something?”, asked the daughter of Frank and Hazel adorably.

“With what?”, mumbled Danny curiously between her bites.

“Since we are now two girls, we are more than one so we can overpower Herc!”

“Who is Herc?”, blinked the blonde girl confused.

“I'm Herc, hi”, grinned the boy and stole a slice of pizza. “And you girls don't stand a chance.”

“Mama, kann ich mit ihnen gehen? Bitte, bitte, bitte?”, asked the daughter of Apollo wide-eyed. [trans: _Mama, can I go with you? Please, please, please?_ ]

“Sei vorsichtig, mein Engel”, warned the Sea Prince and nodded shortly. [trans: _Be careful, my angel_ ]

Sky-blue eyes widened as a mischievous grin spread over Danny's face. She put the pizza down and jumped at the grandson of Jupiter. The boy yelped and ran off, closely chased by the girls.

“Children, the attention span of flies”, grunted Percy irritated and shook his head. “Who were they? Aside from completely adorable.”

“Hercules is our son”, grinned Jason broadly, grabbing his wife's hand.

“And Sammy Marie is our daughter”, smiled Hazel softly as she hugged Percy and sat down next to her own husband, still staring at the son of Poseidon. “Where have you been all that time?”

“I...”, sighed the Sea Prince and took a look around at his friends.

“Well, you got the two praetors here now”, smirked the daughter of Bellona, looking from Octavian over to Hazel and at the end settling for Percy. “You going to tell us?”

“I don't... really want to talk about it”, muttered Percy and folded his hands in his lap.

“We're your friends, if something is bothering you, you can tell us”, whispered Rachel soft-eyed.

“After the war”, started the Sea Prince slowly, lowering his gaze. “I traveled. At first, I just wanted to see Rome and Athens without fighting monsters and I wanted to return soon. But I couldn't. It was just so beautiful and I felt so free. I started to travel Europe, just with a back-pack. England, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey and... Germany. Two years ago or something like that, I got kind of stuck in Germany. _München_ , Munich. I fell in love. With the city, with the guy, with his cute, little sister. He was a son of Apollo, handsome with that blonde, sunny hair and the blue, blue eyes. Danny is his little sister. She was so adorable, I couldn't stay away. I just wanted... you know, something quick and short, but she was wonderful. So I stayed. Learned German, got a job, moved in with them. Lived a boring, regular life. He was... pretty nice. At the beginning. Their mother, she had died in child-bed. He had raised Danny on his own, more or less. I felt bad for her, not having a parent at all, so I... I guess I spend more time tending to her than to him and he seriously grew jealous of his own baby-sister. He started drinking, cursing everything, his life, their father for being a god and not caring, their mother for dying, me for not being his and his alone...”

“Did he...”, started Hazel worried and coughed. “Did he hit you?”

“He tried it”, shrugged Percy darkly. “I broke his arm. He never tried it again. And then, a few weeks ago... I noticed that I was pregnant. He was already jealous enough of Danny as it was. A baby? He demanded that I get rid of it. I told him I would never take an innocent life. I gave him two options. Either he sobered up and took responsibility, for me, the baby, his sister. Or he would never see me again and I would take his sister with me. The next day, I came home from work and he was just as drunk as every night before. So I packed my stuff and grabbed Danny, because I couldn't leave her with him, he was in no condition to take care of a four-years-old. And he didn't want the responsibility either. I didn't know where to go. Camp Half-Blood is a summer camp, it's not... not what I want for Danny. So I thought about New Rome. And she _is_ Roman, after all.”

“Wait, if I caught that correctly... you're pregnant”, blinked Reyna slowly.

“No... Not anymore”, whispered the Sea Prince with dark eyes.

“What...”, started Rachel, not sure how to put it.

“I didn't have money on my body when we left. It was... a dangerous journey, two half-bloods on their own and without money. We got attacked, often. Once by the minotaur and... I lost the baby.”

Percy wrapped his arms tightly around himself, closing his eyes tightly.

“We'll find you and Danny a flat in New Rome”, whispered the female praetor. “Everything is going to be alright again, Percy. You're with your family again.”

“I'm... so sorry”, whispered the Sea Prince with tears in his eyes. “I wanted to call you, I wanted to visit. But at first, with the traveling, I never had time. Time slipped away like nothing. And then... He was so jealous whenever I would as much as look at someone else. He was so possessive. Why am I always ending up with jerks who treat me like crap...? Why can't I just be happy...?”

He clung to the redhead while he cried and sobbed all the pain away that had been building up. Rachel wrapped her arms around him and whispered soothing nonsense.

“You and the kiddo are safe with us, Percy”, promised Jason.

“There is that nice apartment near ours, I think it's empty”, nodded Frank with a frown.

Octavian bolted up and grabbed Percy's hand, pulling the Sea Prince with him.

“What? Tavy, where are you bringing him?”, scolded Rachel irritated and ran after him.

“To the hospital”, frowned the augur with a dark glare.

“Hospital?”, grunted Reyna skeptically.

“Since mortals are not used to male pregnancies, I doubt you went to a hospital after you lost the child, right?”, asked the blonde man, waiting for the younger one to shake his head. “A miscarriage is dangerous, you need to get checked. If anything remained, it may cause an infection.”

Percy frowned up at the older man confused by him. Then he turned to his friends.

“Could you... Take my stuff with you? Anyplace with a bed would be fine. And maybe... keep an eye on Danny? She's a trouble-magnet. And with her mingled Denglish she may confuse others.”

“Of course”, nodded Reyna. “I would love to check what the girls did to my boy anyway.”

She went off into another direction, closely followed by Hazel, who muttered something similar. Frank and Jason stayed at the restaurant with the back-pack.

“How are you feeling, Perseus?”, asked Octavian worried.

“I... tired, but that comes with the journey, I guess”, murmured Percy, staring at their linked hands.

“You're running a fever. Your forehead is covered in sweat. And your hands are shaking.”

“But don't you worry, Percy”, smiled Rachel weakly. “We got the best healers here.”

The walk to the hospital was kind of a blur to the son of Poseidon, the only thing he was sure about were those strong arms holding him and those blue, blue eyes looking at him.


	2. Chapter: The Awakening – Das Erwachen

2\. Chapter: The Awakening – _Das Erwachen_

 

The first thing Percy saw once he came back to it again was a white ceiling. He hated hospitals. Groaning in pain, he sat up some to look around. On the chairs next to the bed sat a blonde woman and a Italian man, both busy talking to each other in hushed voices.

“Hey, guys”, whispered the Sea Prince with a soft grin.

“Oh gods, Percy, you're awake!”, shrieked Annabeth and threw herself at him, tears in her eyes. “I... When Rachel dropped by and told us that you really arrived here and what had happened to you, I nearly had a heart-attack, you can't do that to me, seaweed brain!”

“You scared us all, Perce”, grunted the Ghost King irritated, hugging their friend too.

“Are you here because of me?”, chuckled the son of Poseidon softly.

“You've been in the hospital for weeks”, hissed the daughter of Athena.

“You look beautiful, Annabeth”, smiled Percy, ignoring her.

She had grown into a truly beautiful woman, her long, wavy hair falling softly around her frame. She was wearing a skirt-suit, looking like a professional business-woman. But the lawyer next to her didn't look half-bad either. Nico in a suit. A few years ago, he would have laughed at that.

“You look like shit, Jackson”, grunted the son of Hades unimpressed. “You nearly died, moron. You've been in a coma because of the damn infection. It's only thanks to nectar and ambrosia that you had a chance at all. In a normal, mortal hospital, you would have long since died.”

The Italian turned to the door, waving the doctor in.

“But I'm feeling fine now, so stop fussing”, grunted the Sea Prince and stood slowly.

“Where do you think you're going?”, asked Annabeth sternly.

“That's something I would like to know too”, grunted the doctor.

Sea-green eyes blinked surprised up at the blonde man.

“I don't know yet, but there is that kid I need to find. It's nice seeing you, Will, but I don't have time to lay around and do nothing”, started Percy irritated.

“Danny, yeah”, nodded the son of Death. “We met her. Cute kid. You could have told us about her, you know? Or about that asshole-boyfriend of yours. Or about _anything_.”

“Where is Danny?”, asked the Sea Prince, ignoring his friends.

“With Rachel and Octavian. Where she had been the past few weeks”, answered Annabeth.

Will was checking on Percy, trying to push him back down onto the bed.

“Then bring me there”, demanded the son of Poseidon annoyed. “And stop that fussing, Will.”

“You still need to rest”, grunted the son of Apollo displeased.

“Go home and annoy your lovers. I'm fine”, muttered Percy defensively. “Where are your lovers?”

“Home”, answered Annabeth and rolled her eyes. “Piper takes care of Thea, I didn't want to take the kid with me here. Oh, as soon as you're better, you have to meet her. She will love you.”

“Leo couldn't leave the shop just like that”, said Nico. “We needed to see you. We've been frequently visiting you here, the Romans and the Greeks alike.”

“I... Look, thanks for being so worried about me, but right now, all I want is Danny, okay?”, whispered the son of Poseidon slowly. “Please, Will, I'll watch out, but I need to get to her...”

“Gods, you really got some maternal instincts”, giggled the blonde woman and shook her head.

“You're not allowed to leave the hospital yet, Percy”, grunted the son of Apollo sternly.

“You're the doctor, he's the shadow-traveler. He can shadow-travel me out of here and somewhere where I can rest”, muttered Percy. “I want to see my daughter. Now.”

The Italian looked over at the two blondes questioningly.

“Don't argue with a mother. Especially not if the mother is Percy Jackson”, chuckled the blonde woman highly amused. “Take him there. I'm sure Octavian will keep a close eye on him.”

“I suppose Annabeth is right”, nodded the doctor with a frown. “Octavian will be cautious enough.”

“And what about you?”, asked Nico as he wrapped his arms around the Sea Prince.

“I'm hungry and hospital food is disgusting, so I will be at Frank's and eat something. I'll tell the others Percy is alright and then I'll go home to check on my own daughter. I can't wait to tell Piper and the others that Percy is better”, grinned Annabeth with a wink.

She hugged the two male half-bloods a last time before Nico shadow-traveled them away.

 

/break\

 

“Danny, stop jumping on the couch.”

“Aber Papa, die Couch ist so bequem und toll zum darauf herumzuspringen, den Spaß kannst du mir nicht verbieten! Mama würde es mir bestimmt erlauben!”, protested the child with a pout. [trans:  _But dad, the couch is so comfy and it's awesome to jump around on it, you can't take that fun away from me! Mom would totally allow it!_ ]

Octavian frowned up at the girl. He knew she was doing that on purpose because she knew he didn't speak German. Irritating, little bugger. Putting the tea on the table, he grabbed her and pulled her down, tickling her mercilessly.

“You bloody little bugger!”, grunted the augur. “Listen to me when I tell you something!”

The girl squirmed and giggled, trying to wriggle free from his grasp.

“The tea is going to be cold if you don't drink it soon”, chided the redhead observing them. “And I always thought your tea is holy to you Brits.”

“It is not my fault that she is so irritating”, grunted Octavian childishly.

Danny pouted and sat down next to him, crossing her arms stubbornly in front of her chest.

“Take a cookie and don't behave like a child”, demanded the blonde man.

“But I am a child!”, yelped Danny and stuck her tongue out at him, taking the cookie nonetheless.

“You two are horrible”, chuckled Rachel amused and sipped her coffee.

Though her smile died down as she heard a crash from somewhere else within the flat. She frowned and locked eyes with Octavian. The augur stood, but not fast enough because Danny had already taken off in the direction of the crash.

“Dear lords, Danny you are impossible!”, called the blonde man after her. “You're just like your mother, 'Oh, something could be dangerous, let's jump right into it!'!”

“Good to know your opinion on me never changed”, muttered a voice from the bedroom.

Danny was the first to enter, finding Nico and Percy on top of the big bed. She blinked a few times before she jumped the son of Poseidon, making him fall back against the Italian.

“I... You're supposed to be in the hospital”, frowned Octavian darkly.

He glared at the Ghost King. For bringing the Sea Prince here and even more so for being so close to what should be the augur's. Nico glared back and stood up.

“After all these years, you still haven't managed to get your landing right”, grunted Percy irritated and glared at the son of Hades while hugging Danny.

“Mama, Mama, ich bin so froh, dass es dir gut geht! Papa hat gesagt, dass du im Krankenhaus bleiben musst für eine Weile. Geht es dir besser?”, asked the child concerned. [trans:  _Mom, I'm so glad you're okay! Dad said that you'll have to stay in the hospital for a while. Are you feeling better?]_

“Papa?”, repeated the son of Poseidon slowly. “Apollo has been here...? But yes, Danny, I'm better now. And what did I tell you about talking languages others can't understand?”

“But that's so verwirrend!”, whined Danny. “I wasn't allowed to talk English in Deutschland and I'm not allowed to talk Deutsch in America. That's unfair.” [trans:  _But that's so confusing!_ ]

“You are allowed to talk German, but while others are present who don't understand the language, it's not very polite, _mein Engel_ ”, chided Percy with a smile. “Back to Apollo, please.”

“She's not talking about Apollo”, chimed Rachel with a wicked grin as she entered the bedroom.

“Papa, Mama is better now!”, grinned Danny and waved at Octavian. “He's staying with us now, right? Ja, bitte, gell?” [trans:  _Yes, please, right?_ ]

While Percy was busy staring wide-eyed at the augur, the Oracle of Delphi tugged at Nico's hand.

“How about you invite me to a pizza?”, suggested the redhead. “And we'll give them some time.”

They disappeared through the next shadows, leaving the other three alone. Octavian slowly sat down on his bed, next to the child and the Sea Prince.

“How are you feeling, Perseus?”, asked the augur, placing one hand on the younger one's forehead.

“I'm fine, I woke up in a hospital and nearly got suffocated by my best friend, but I'm fine.”

“Suffowhat?”, repeated the kid with doe-eyes.

“Erstickt”, smiled Percy and ruffled her hair. “So... What did I miss?”

“Oh, you missed so much, Mama!”, grinned Danny and waved her hands around. “Tantchen Rachel and Papa took care of me while you have been asleep and I met all those awesome people you have told me about! They all came to visit you in the Krankenhaus!” [trans: Tantchen = _auntie_ ; Krankenhaus = _hospital_ ]

“The tea is getting cold, Danny. Come, living room”, grunted Octavian, lifting her off the bed.

“Right!”, nodded the daughter of Apollo and grabbed their hands to pull them along. “Papa is British and he really loves his tea, you know? That means you have to make tea for us every day, because otherwise Papa with be all grumpy. That's what Tantchen had said.”

“I will have to make tea for you?”, repeated Percy slowly and blinked.

“Of course. We're a family and a family lives together, right? I need to show you my room!”

Shortly before they entered the living room, the girl took a turn right into another bedroom. Sea-green eyes blinked slowly as he took the room in. It was painted in a soft blue, with a big, yellow sun on the ceiling, smiling down at them. There was a bunk bed with a desk beneath it and a big, white wardrobe. The few toys they had packed were scattered on the floor, together with many, many more. It seemed that she had gotten gifts from everyone who had come to visit Percy.

“This is... beautiful... But...”, drawled the son of Poseidon slowly.

But the child was already out again, heading for the living room. Percy just stared.

“This used to my the guest-room. And at first, Danny had just stayed here. But after a few days, we started decorating it. Only a few things. But the longer you stayed unconscious, the more she made herself homey here. The girls painted the walls, me and the boys put the furniture together. I think she really likes it here”, whispered the augur.

“She must do so if she calls you dad”, murmured the Sea Prince softly. “Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry. She's a great kid. A bit annoying, but I guess that comes with being a kid.”

“I don't want to intrude, I'll start searching for an own place for her and me later today.”

“You don't need to”, said the Roman slowly. “I mean, she is quite comfortable. And after everything she had been through, with her brother and with you two being on the run, I think ripping her out of a place she considers home is not a wise thing to do.”

The blonde turned around again to go to the master bedroom again, pulling the Sea Prince with him. Percy blinked confused as he found himself in the big room again.

“You should get dressed first. You're still wearing the hospital gown. And even though it does compliment your best trades, you should dress correctly.”

The son of Poseidon frowned and looked himself up and down before blushing. Hospital gown was open at the backside. Did Octavian seriously just imply he had a nice ass?

“You didn't really say what I think you did, did you?”, asked the green-eyed young man.

“You have a very alluring behind, that is not to be denied, Perseus.”

“Would you finally stop calling me Perseus, for the gods' sake!”, growled the blushing half-blood.

“Here, your clothes”, said Octavian and ignored him.

Percy blinked and took the jeans and the shirt. Before he could say anything else, the blonde was already out of the room. Blinking confused, the Sea Prince frowned. This was Octavian. The jerk he had fought with so often when they had been teens. Why was he doing this for him? Without the augur, Percy would have... he would have died. Because he hadn't even thought about the possibility of an infection. He wouldn't have gone to a hospital on his own and they would have been too late. And now the blonde even took Danny in. Why was he doing all of that?

The Sea Prince shook his head and slowly got dressed before heading to the room where the noises were coming from. His still present frown melted as he saw the two sitting on the couch. Octavian held his tea-cup in one hand and a cookie in the other, Danny on his lap. The girl was nibbling the cookie in her newly-gained father's hand, holding to her own cup of tea with both hands. It was an adorable image and Percy had to smile softly at it. This was what he had always wished for the child. Someone who loved Danny just as much as Percy did.

“Hey you two, is there another cup for me?”, asked the son of Poseidon.

“Yey! I have a pretty blue cup for you, Mama!”, exclaimed the blonde girl happily.

The couch wasn't very broad so Percy had to sit very, very close to the augur. A blush covered his cheeks at the close proximity as he took the blue cup from the table, pouring him some of the hot tea and leaning back against the soft cushions of the couch.

“Mama, Herc und Sammy haben mir die ganze Stadt gezeigt!”, said the girl. “They are awesome friends and they introduced me to their other friends and they are awesome too and I love New Rome! Und ich liebe meinen neuen Papa!” [trans:  _Mom, Herc and Sammy showed me the whole city! (...) And I love my new dad!_ ]

“Ich liebe dich auch, Danny”, smiled Octavian in heavily accented German. [trans:  _I love you too_ ]

“You speak German?”, blinked Percy surprised, lifting his head.

“No”, chuckled the blonde man. “But Danny taught me the most important things. And 'I love you' certainly is the most important thing to say, wouldn't you agree?”

Another blush and Percy started to wonder why. He had always felt uneasy around the augur, but he had always assumed it was because he didn't trust the blonde. Though then again, the tall blonde was his prey pattern when it came to men. Tall, handsome, blonde, blue-eyed. Like Luke, like Danny's brother... Was it... sexual attraction? All those years? Had it really been sexual attraction? Had he just needed some distance, from the war, from his friends, from everything, to see what had been right in front of his eyes all that time? He yawned widely at that realization and put his cup down. He felt so exhausted. Everything had been so exhausting.

 

/break\

 

“Is Mama alright?”

“Sh, don't wake him, Danny. He needs rest. Go to your bed.”

“Ja, Papa. Ich hab dich lieb, gute Nacht.” [trans:  _Yes, dad. I love you, good night._ ]

“I love you too, little bugger. Sleep well.”

Hurried steps ran off and Percy shifted sleepily. It was warm. Nicely warm. Strong arms were holding him close, but he was moving. Someone carried him. For a second he thought about opening his eyes to see what was happening, but he decided against it. He felt way too comfortable. He hadn't felt so safe and secure in a very long time. Soon he was laid down on an extremely soft bed. In his time on the run with Danny they had spend most their nights in the cheapest motels with the cheapest mattresses, but this felt like laying on a cloud. And the strong arms stayed around him, shifting to his waist and pulling him close to someone.

“Sleep well, _mein Geliebter_ ”, whispered a dark voice into his ear. [trans: _my beloved_ ]

The Sea Prince stiffened for a second, not sure what to say or if he should say anything at all. But then he gathered his courage and lifted his head some.

“I thought she only taught you the important stuff...?”, murmured Percy sleepily and blinked.

He locked eyes with shocked blue ones. The augur soon regained his calmness and looked down at him. A hand was combing through his hair, the other resting on his lower back.

“I think that 'my beloved' is very important. Besides, it is either that or Perseus, you may decide.”

The Roman made it sound calm, but he looked very tense. Percy bit his lips. This was the oddest confession of feelings he had ever heard. It was up to him now to decide what happened next. And he felt far too tired for this anyway. But perhaps that was because it was a dream? Because this situation was way too surreal to be real anyway.

“I've been through some very shitty relationships. And if you want me, you get Danny too. And I don't want anything loose just because you now decided that I have a nice ass and-“

He was interrupted by firm lips pressing against his own. Sea-green eyes widened at the passionate and possessive kiss. Slowly his arms wrapped themselves around the older man's neck. This certainly had to be a dream, because it was way too good to be true.

“This is not a one-night-stand, this is me finally listening to Rach. She had told me years ago I should have told you that I love you. And then you just disappeared. Now that you're finally within my reach, I plan on never letting you go again”, whispered the augur softly. “I love you. I loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you eight years ago. But I've been a stupid teenager, unable to understand my feelings for you back then. Now I'm a grown man. And I know that I want you.”

“I've had nothing but bad luck in the relationship-department until now”, murmured the Sea Prince against swollen lips, licking his own slowly.

“Well, then it's time you get someone who would be ready to carry you on his hands”, smirked the blonde. “Who would worship you. And who truly loves you. Who could give you anything you deserve and more.”

The son of Poseidon bit his lips and cuddled close to the augur.

“Don't call me Perseus again”, whispered Percy into the broad chest.

“As you wish, mein Geliebter”, smiled Octavian and kissed the top of his head softly. [trans:  _my beloved_ ]

The black-haired man snuggled closer to the augur and closed his eyes as silent steps tapped close and in the end into their bedroom.

“Mama, Papa, Wolpi can't sleep”, murmured a silent voice from the door. “Can I sleep in your bed, bitte, bitte? Then Wolpi wouldn't be so afraid anymore...” [trans: ... _pretty please?_ ]

The blonde lifted his head to look at the child's siluette in the darkness. Octavian chuckled and lifted the blanket for her to crawl between them, which she all too willingly and eagerly did, with her strange stuffed animal in her hands, an odd creature that made the augur a bit uneasy. The second Danny laid between her 'parents', she was out cold. Percy wrapped his arms around her frame, her head rested on Octavian's chest, who now laid his own arms around his newly gained, little family in a protective way.

“This odd creature, does she always carry it with her?”, whispered the blonde man after a while.

“A Wolpertinger... Well, we call them jackalopes”, chuckled Percy lowly, kissing the top of his daughter's head. “And yes, she always carries it with her. Her mother had bought it for her birth, but... she never got to give it to her daughter though since she had died way too early... Danny never gives Wolpi out of her hands. A bit ironic, we live in a world where unicorns and pegasi are real, animals every little girl would dream of. But what is her favorite animal? A jackalope. Germans and their phantasy.”

“Our children are not getting such creepy creatures”, declared the augur with a frown after a moment, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Certainly not.”

“Our children...?”, blinked the son of Poseidon astonished, not sure if he had misheard that.

“Good night”, coughed Octavian and turned the lights off, brushing his lips against Percy's head.

No need to rush things. Why did he have to slip like that? For now, the hyperactive daughter of Apollo was enough to raise. And the blonde man was sure his Sea Prince still needed to get over what had happened to him in the past. After the miscarriage, he needed time for himself for now to calm down and regain some strength again. But one day he would have a blonde Sea Princess with sea-green eyes running around their flat.


	3. The Realization – Die Erkenntnis

3\. Chapter: The Realization – _Die Erkenntnis_

 

Percy yawned exhausted. So many things had happened to him, he felt as if he could sleep for days. That sounded familiar. How odd. And right now he was way too comfortable to wake up too. The bed was soft. So soft. He couldn't remember beds being that soft. Then again, he had spend way too long on the run with Danny. And his pillow was so warm, with that steady drumming sound. Hold on. That sounded off. He blinked tired as the events of the last day hit him like a brick wall. Waking up in the hospital and ending up at Octavian's apartment.

“Good morning, mein Geliebter”, growled a low, seductive voice. [trans:  _my beloved_ ]

...And the conversation with Octavian. Had the augur really said that he loved Percy? This seemed so surreal to the Sea Prince. He groaned half-asleep and turned some to look up into sky-blue eyes, tightening his grip on the small body between them. Danny was still sound-asleep, her head resting on her dad's stomach, her arms curled around her stuffed animal.

“Octavian”, whispered the son of Poseidon. “We need to talk. Alone.”

He had been so tired last night and it really had been much to digest. The Roman was not only willing to take them in, he was also more than willing to take the Sea Prince as his lover. And to take care of Danny. There was only one possible explanation to that: There had been something in the blonde's tea the other day that had made him say all this crazy stuff.

“Mama! Ich will Pfannenkuchen!”, exclaimed a way too loud voice. [trans:  _Mom! I want pancakes!_ ]

Percy winced at the high volume of the girl and tried to hide his face in the crook of Octavian's neck. Even though he probably shouldn't get that comfortable anyway.

“What does she want?”, asked the augur with a frown.

“Pancakes. More or less... Let's say something like pancakes. Just better.”

The daughter of Apollo stood on the bed, looking down at them expectantly, pulling on Wolpi's wings to make it seem as if the jackalope was flying above them. Octavian shuddered at the thought of this odd creature being real. He needed to get some pink unicorns and other normal girl's stuff for her. Slowly sitting up, he pulled his Sea Prince close until Percy was sitting on his lap. Though the son of Poseidon looked oddly uncomfortable.

“Your mom still needs to rest, Danny”, scolded the Roman, for now dismissing Percy's facial expression to focus on their charge. “How about you go and bother the neighbors?”

“Yes!”, screamed the child delighted and ran off.

“She's still in her night gown. And you send her outside? To bother who exactly?”, asked the green-eyed demi-god with a frown and looked after the girl.

“First, the neighbors live just across the floor. That's not even ten seconds. And second, it's the Rodriguez-family. It seems Danny and Cally get along very well.”

“Cally...?”, murmured the son of Poseidon confused.

“You need to meet the next generation”, chuckled Octavian. “Calandra is the daughter of Chris and Clarisse. She and Danny cause mischief in masses since Danny moved in with me.”

“We can talk about that later”, dismissed the Sea Prince. “I... want to talk about last night.”

“What is there to talk, mein Geliebter?”, murmured the blonde and kissed Percy's shoulder. [trans: _my beloved_ ]

“Exactly that!”, exclaimed the son of Poseidon and pushed himself off the augur. “Look, this... is a whole new level of crazy. You and me never got along when we were teens. I don't see how you...”

“We had that conversation last night”, grunted Octavian confused and brought some distance between them to show his Sea Prince that he took their conversation serious. “What's bothering you, Perseus? Why are you so disturbed now?”

“Yeah, last night”, snorted Percy. “Two hours after I released myself from hospital. I wasn't myself completely. I was still on drugs, Octavian. And now that I'm sober again... Listen, I just got out of a very rough relationship and I just lost a child. I don't want to jump into the next relationship right away. I love Danny, I don't want her being accustomed with you just for us to break up and break her heart with that. I won't risk hurting her like that.”

“I am slightly concerned that you already think about the break-up”, chuckled the augur darkly.

“See”, sighed Percy and combed his fingers through his hair. “I can't imagine a happy relationship. And to be honest, at the moment I don't even want to. I want some time for myself. I want to be selfish for a change. Just for once, just a bit. So it will be best if Danny and I search for an own place, because I don't... You have feelings for me and I don't want to be cruel by living here.”

“Please don't move out, Perseus”, interrupted Octavian urgently and put one hand on top of his Sea Prince's, locking eyes with the younger man. “Look, Danny is feeling at home here and... honestly, I love her. She is adorable. And I want to be able to keep an eye on you. I don't want you slipping away from me again. While you have been unconscious, I thought I may loose you. And I can't loose you. If you don't want to be cruel, then stay. It's alright if you don't want a relationship with me yet, but... will you give me a chance?”

“A chance?”, repeated the son of Poseidon lowly.

“Give me a chance to prove myself”, nodded the Brit. “I will show you that I can be a father to Danny. And that I can be the lover you want.”

“You want to seduce me”, chuckled Percy amused. “That's cute.”

“I want to make you want me”, smirked the augur. “Let me try?”

The Greek bit his lips and looked around the room.

“Danny's room is pretty big. If you want, you can stay with her. Or you can stay here and I sleep on the couch in my office”, offered the praetor. “Just please don't leave again. I need to know that you are safe, especially after everything you told us that you've been through. I need you safe and there is no safer place for you than next to me.”

“Okay”, nodded Percy slowly with a slight blush. “But if anything, I will sleep on the couch.”

“No you won't”, objected the augur stubbornly. “You still need your rest so you will take the bed.”

“I never thought you could be that sweet”, chuckled the son of Poseidon amused. “Very well. If you insist. Can we... check on Danny, please? I'm worried.”

“If you wish to”, nodded Octavian and got up. “I'm sure Chris got some pancakes ready by now.”

He offered the smaller male his hand and helped him up. When the descendant of Apollo led the son of Poseidon through the apartment, Percy took his time to memorize everything. It had been too much input the other day. The Sea Prince was impressed. It had a modern touch, but was still mostly in the old Roman style. There was the door to the bathroom – it was open ajar so he could see the spacious room a bit – and the door to Danny's bedroom right opposite the master bedroom. Next to Danny's room was what Percy assumed to be the blonde's office. The next door that came was the main entrance, in sight of the open living room and the kitchen that was only separated by a partition wall with a counter. The whole apartment was open and felt spacious, probably due to the tied-in living room. All in all, Percy really liked the place.

“So, wait, Chris and Clarisse are your neighbors?”, asked the Sea Prince as they left the apartment.

“Many Greeks of your generation have moved here. To study, to start a family. It's the way we work now. Though most – Greeks and Romans alike – send their children to Camp Half-Blood for the summer, because as much as I appreciate the Roman ways, for children, especially small children, the Greek ways may work even better. So that's the way our world works now.”

“The Greeks move to New Rome and the Romans go to Camp Half-Blood...? I leave for a few days and you turn everything upside-down”, chuckled Percy disbelieving and shook his head.

“Well, with the demi-god families increasing here, we had to adapt to new ways.”

They stood in front of a red door and Octavian knocked. Seconds later, the door was pulled open by a broadly grinning brunette girl that looked like a miniature Clarisse, complete with a red bandana.

“Good morning, uncle Octavian!”, greeted the little girl.

“Good morning to you too, Calandra”, replied Octavian softly.

Her eyes wandered over to Percy, scanning him in interest. “You must be auntie Percy then!”

“Aunt? Hades no”, grunted the son of Poseidon displeased.

“But mom said so”, muttered Cally confused.

“Figures that your mom would say something like that”, murmured the Sea Prince and shook his head before going into the knees. “It's nice to meet you, Calandra.”

“You can call me Cally!”, offered the brunette before she attached herself to his neck.

Percy nearly fell over at the impact and grunted. He tried to stand up just to find his legs wobbly. He never had any problems lifting Danny up in the past either. Perhaps he was still exhausted? Though the heavy weight was then taken from him by the augur.

“Are your parents in the kitchen?”, asked Octavian, carrying the girl with him.

“No! They are on the balcony!”, replied the brunette kid. “With Danny!”

“Are the others there too?”, wanted the blonde to know.

“No. They had no time”, answered Cally with a pout. “Uncle Leo took Herc and Sammy with him to the garage and Thea and Lizzy are with auntie Rachel.”

“Thea and Lizzy? Thea is Piper and Annabeth's daughter if I'm not mistaken, right?”, hummed Percy curiously. “And who is Lizzy?”

“Technically speaking, Theadora is a daughter of Athena, but her father had died during a monster attack. And Elizabeth Mason is a daughter of Apollo, though her mother was unable to handle a demi-god child. Will and Jake took her in and adopted her”, explained Octavian.

“Mama! Papa! Look, Onkelchen Chris made amerikanische Pfannenkuchen!”, exclaimed the little blonde girl on the table outside. “He calls them pancakes! They are delicious!” [trans: Onkelchen = _uncle_ ; amerikanische Pfannenkuchen = _American pancakes_ ]

“Percy!”, gasped the brunette woman also sitting on the table to storm over and hug the son of Poseidon. “Damn it, seaweed brain, you stupid moron! Never scare us like that again!”

“I'm glad to see you too, Clarisse”, chuckled Percy and returned her hug. “How have you been?”

“Well, married, mother, martial arts teacher around here. Same old”, replied the daughter of Ares as she slowly released her friend. “Come, sit down. You're way too thin! Danny already told us about your adventurous journey together. You need to get some good food again.”

“Hello, Chris”, smiled Percy over at the son of Hermes.

“Good to see you awake again, Jackson”, grunted Chris and nodded in greeting.

Cally sat down between her parents and opposite of Danny. The son of Poseidon made a face as he sat down and grabbed his stomach in pain. He tried to cover it, but the very observant blonde that had just sat down on the other side of Danny didn't miss it.

“What's wrong?”, asked Octavian concerned.

“Nothing, I just... guess Will was right”, grunted the Sea Prince. “Shouldn't move so much...”

“Sorry”, mumbled Cally in guilt, thinking she had caused him pain by jumping him earlier.

“That was not your fault, darling”, objected the augur and stood again. “I think we should... reschedule this breakfast to a date when Perseus is up to it.”

“Yeah”, agreed Clarisse worried. “Better get your loverboy back to bed. And resting, nothing else!”

The descendant of Apollo rolled his eyes at the woman and stood to walk over to his Sea Prince. He shoved one hand under the knees and the other behind his back to lift the younger man. Percy wanted to protest, but he suddenly felt way too tired to do so. And he really enjoyed the warmth and safety radiating from the Roman.

“How about you enjoy breakfast with aunt Clarisse and uncle Chris, Danny? I'll go and take care of your mommy”, suggested the blonde man lowly.

“Okay, _Papa”,_ murmured Danny worried. “Ich habe dich lieb, Mama.” [trans:  _I love you, mom._ ]

“Ich dich auch, mein Engel”, smiled Percy back at her before closing his eyes. [trans:  _I love you too, my angel_ ]

The steady heartbeat beneath his ear was slowly lulling him back into a state of half-sleep. He was still very tired. So exhausted. All the running and fighting...

“You shouldn't have left the hospital”, growled the praetor irritated. “I would feel better if Solace still had an eye on you. You're still not completely good.”

“No”, murmured the Sea Prince and shook his head slightly. “I want to be near Danny... can't leave her alone... I hate hospitals... Please don't bring me back there... Keine Ärzte...”

“What?”, asked the augur with a frown.

“No doctors”, whispered the son of Poseidon. “He... He was a doctor-to-be too... He is a son of Apollo, after all... They remind me of him... I don't want to think of him...”

“Okay, no hospital”, nodded Octavian shortly.

Percy blinked confused as he felt himself being laid down. He had missed how they entered the apartment. The blonde backed off some and turned to leave the room again.

“Wait”, whispered the son of Poseidon and reached out for the Roman.

“You should sleep. You need to rest”, muttered the augur and shook his head.

“I won't move around and I will rest, but... there are so many things on my mind”, sighed Percy and looked up at the praetor with pleading eyes. “Can you stay with me and... talk with me...?”

A contemplating look passed through sky-blue eyes. He should really let his Sea Prince rest now, but he also didn't want to leave Percy alone. Just in case something may go wrong. And talking sounded like a good idea. That way, he could prove himself to the son of Poseidon. Nodding slowly, he sat down on the bed next to the younger man and leaned back against the head board. Percy scooted a bit closer and rested his head in the blonde's tight.

“How are the others?”, was Percy's first question. “Clarisse and Chris are living here now? And others too? Other Greeks? What... What is everyone doing with their lives now...? I missed so much... What happened while I was gone...?”

“Well”, hummed Octavian thoughtful, running his fingers through the soft, black hair. “Reyna and Jason felt that being praetor wasn't what they wanted any longer. They wanted to settle down for a family. And Reyna didn't want to have to put her family on second place. Their son Hercules is kind of the new Jason around here, strong, powerful, determined. Jason and Reyna decided to train other demi-gods to show them how they can use their full potential best.”

“Mh... Herc, I met him, right? The blonde, little boy in the restaurant when Danny and I arrived...”, murmured Percy and yawned at that. “And now... Who is praetor now...?”

“Your memory seems hazy”, whispered the Roman worried. “Hazel and I are now praetor.”

“But Hazel has a daughter now too...? Or?”, asked the son of Poseidon confused.

“She does”, nodded Octavian. “But she wanted the job. And so did I. Someone from our generation, someone who saw the two wars, should lead this camp. And Hazel is pretty good at handling both, the job and her family. Besides, Frank is a pretty good househusband. Even though he has the restaurant. He and Chris have the restaurant together, in fact. And Sammy is such a bright child, she understands her mother's duties.”

“What about Annie and... and Nico...?”, his voice was slightly slurred from being tired.

“They both study to become lawyers”, chuckled Octavian highly amused. “And Piper is a teacher at the local demi-god school. Their adopted daughter is a bright child of Athena.”

“Nico is with... Leo, right?”, murmured Percy and blinked a few times. “What's Leo doing?”

“He and Jake have a garage together”, chuckled Octavian amused. “Though most of the time they are busy trying to get Elizabeth out of the garage, because she is trying very hard to be a good tinkerer, even though she is a daughter of Apollo.”

“It's funny”, laughed Percy softly. “During the war, most of us wouldn't have thought that we would even live through it... And now everyone has a little family... A... family...”

“Perseus? Are you alright?”, asked the Roman worried.

The son of Poseidon was clutching his midsection, his eyes hid by his bangs.

“I've been out for so long... This... infection was pretty bad, huh? Is it... Can I still...”

His voice was hoarse and sounded of unshed tears. Octavian frowned for a second before it dawned on him what the son of Poseidon was truly asking here. He took the younger man's face and forced him to lock eyes with the augur.

“Will worked a miracle”, murmured Octavian soothingly. “You're going to be alright again. You can still become pregnant if you want.”

“Good”, sighed Percy relieved, his grip on himself loosening some. “I... I really want own children too... If I couldn't... if this... I don't know if I could deal with that... It's bad enough that I lost...”

“Sh”, whispered the blonde and pulled his Sea Prince closer until the son of Poseidon was seated in his lap. “It's alright, it's going to be alright again.”

Wetness soaked his shoulder and silent sobs ragged Percy's body. Of course everything had to come and haunt him at one point. He certainly hadn't cried when he had lost the baby, because it was so much Percy to try and not upset Danny with his own grief.

“I... wanted the baby, really”, whimpered the Sea Prince into his shoulder, clawing into the blue toga of the augur. “I may not have wanted it's father any longer, but... but a child is never to be blamed for their parents... I... wanted this baby... And it's my fault that it's dead...”

“No”, objected the praetor firmly. “Listen to me, Perseus. No. It was not your fault. You lost the child because you tried to protect Danny. It may sound harsh, but it was the right thing to do. You saved the child that was in your care, the child that already had a life. And you couldn't know that you'd loose the baby. It was not your fault.”

The blonde continued to say soothing and calming things until the sobbing stopped and the smaller male on his lap seemed to have calmed down again. For a moment he thought Percy may have fallen asleep, but then the Sea Prince shifted some and red-rimmed sea-green eyes looked up at him.

“Do... Do you want children?”, whispered the son of Poseidon hoarsely.

“Mh?”, grunted Octavian confused.

“It... It seems everyone I know settled down with the one they loved and started their own family... How come you still live alone...? Don't you want a family...?”, asked Percy curiously.

He rubbed his eyes and snuggled a bit deeper into the embrace of the older man.

“I want a family”, murmured the blonde. “But I want it with you. So there was no point in looking for someone else while you were gone.”

“W... What...?”, gasped the son of Poseidon wide-eyed and stared up at him, blushing hard.

“I think that if I want a chance with you, I owe you the truth”, replied the augur. “I was serious when I said last night that I wanted you for years. I may have acted like a fool when we were teens because I didn't understand my own feelings back then. And when you moved away, it was too late. So I will not waste any chance with you that I may have. I waited for you. For five years. And whenever I saw our friends with their little families, I pictured myself with you and with our child.”

“You... knew about my... special ability”, murmured Percy thoughtful. “You... really want a...”

“A child with you. Yes. One day. I don't want to pressure you, Perseus. I can understand that you have been through a lot and I will wait for you. I waited five years and now that I finally have you that close, I will not let you slip away again. I will wait as long as you need”, whispered Octavian.

“You... really have some heavy feelings for me”, muttered the son of Poseidon.

“I love you. Ich liebe dich”, replied the blonde. “And I will repeat it as often as I need to until you understand just how much I love you, Perseus.” [trans:  _I love you_ ]

“Can you stay with me while I sleep, Octilein?”, yawned Percy, ignoring what just had been said.

“Of course, Perseus”, chuckled the Roman amused at his new nickname.

He watched how the breathing of his Sea Prince slowly evened until the son of Poseidon was deeply asleep, cuddling closer to the augur in his sleep.


	4. The Children – Die Kinder

4\. Chapter: The Children –  _ Die Kinder _

 

Percy smiled lazily. He really could get used to this. Waking up in Octavian's arms. Somehow this felt good. Right. He snuggled closer into the embrace, his eyes still tightly closed.

“You're quite cuddly, Perseus”, chuckled the Roman amused.

“Mh... Du bist aber auch so bequem, Octavian...”, mumbled Percy sleepily. [trans:  _But you're so comfortable, Octavian_ ]

“What did you say?”, asked the augur confused and tilted his head.

Sea-green eyes opened slowly and he looked up at the blonde sheepishly. “You're comfortable. Sorry, I just... I guess I'm used to speaking German by now...”

“Not a problem. I think it sounds cute when you speak German”, grinned Octavian.

“Obgleich du absolut keine Ahnung hast, was ich sage?”, laughed the Sea Prince highly amused. [trans:  _Even though you have no idea what I'm saying?_ ]

“And what did you say this time?”, asked the Roman and blinked confused.

“Cute”, grinned Percy and stretched some, looking up at the descendant of Apollo. “I said; You like it even though you have no idea what I'm saying?”

“What can I say?”, shrugged the blonde, putting even more of his British accent in. “Sometimes it can sound very erotic if someone talks just the slightest bit different.”

“Stop it!”, grunted the son of Poseidon and blushed slightly.

The strong British accent was doing very odd things to him. He sat up some and shifted a bit, feeling the strong arms sliding around his waist. The Roman rested his chin on Percy's shoulder.

“Say something dirty in German”, whispered Octavian into his ear.

“I—I... I did say to you that I don't want to... yet...”, muttered the Sea Prince and blushed.

He wanted to get up. Really. But it was such a safe and warm feeling he got whenever he was close to the praetor. How could he push the blonde away? Then again, how could he lead Octavian on? It was true that he didn't desire a relationship just yet. But he was allowed to feel good, wasn't he...?

“Oh come on”, grinned the Roman and edged closer. “Just tell me something. I just want to hear it. I'm not trying to seduce you – not that I wouldn't want to – but I'm curious. Mh?”

“Why?”, snorted Percy and turned around some to look at the blonde.

“Because German has that bad reputation of not being beautiful or hot... So... I'm curious if you can make it sound hot”, shrugged Octavian casually.

Blue eyes looked so deep and honest and... Percy felt himself so eager. But he didn't quite know for what. Blinking confused he shook his head. Then he smirked. Time to tease the Roman. He straddled Octavian's hips and pushed the blonde back against the cushions before leaning down to whisper into the Brit's ear in a hushed, rough voice.

“Ich würde deine Toga mit meinen Zähnen öffnen und dich langsam entkleiden”, murmured Percy. “Dann würde ich deinen Hals entlang küssen und meinen Hintern langsam an deinem immer härter werdenden Schwanz reiben. Und glaub mir eins, mein Hintern ist sehr, sehr talentiert. Du kannst dir nicht einmal in deinen heißesten Träumen vorstellen, wie eng ich bin. Dein Schwanz und mein Hintern werden eines Tages sehr viele sehr geile Stunden miteinander verbringen. Und du wirst es genießen. Wenn du einmal mit mir geschlafen hast, wirst du nie wieder einen anderen wollen, glaub es mir. Ich würde deinen Namen schreien, dass es sogar die Halbgötter im Lager hören würden...”

[trans: _I'd open your toga with my teeth and I'd slowly undress you. And then I'd kiss along your neck and I'd rub my ass slowly against your hardening cock. And believe me one thing, my ass is very, very talented. You wouldn't even be able to imagine in your hottest dreams how tight I am. Your cock and my ass will be spending many hot hours with each other, one day. Once you slept with me, you will never want someone else, believe me that. I'd be screaming your name so loud, even the demigods in camp could hear it..._ ]

The son of Poseidon stopped when he felt something hard brush against his ass. Dark red spread over his cheeks and he jumped slightly. Seriously? Octavian hadn't even understood what he had said! How could he have such an effect on the augur?

“I'm sorry”, coughed the Roman, flustered himself. “I didn't mean to... It just seems your... voice and body have more of an influence on me than I would have anticipated for. My apologies.”

“You don't have to be sorry”, muttered Percy and averted his eyes, biting his lips. “It's a... natural reaction... If anything, I should be sorry... I shouldn't have teased you...”

“No. It's not your fault. Well, it obviously is, but I can't blame you”, disagreed Octavian.

Percy was still sitting on Octavian's legs, staring down at the erection in front of him. As did the blonde, greatly ashamed. That was the moment Danny decided to burst into their bedroom.

“Mama! Papa!”, exclaimed the girl before she stopped in front of their bed. “Oh...”

“D—Danny!”, yelped Percy, blushing even more.

“Sorry”, mumbled the child. “Didn't mean to interrupt your adult games.”

“Adult... games...?”, repeated Octavian dumbfounded.

“Yeah”, nodded Danny hastily, pointing at his erection. “Mein Bruder always said that this happens when boys are really really happy and then they play adult games. Mama und mein Bruder played them really, really, really, really, really often and always send me to my room then.” [trans: Mein Bruder =  _my brother_ ]

“You didn't have to put so many 'really's into this!”, hissed the Sea Prince, blushing harder. “Out!”

“Ja, ja”, muttered the blonde and pouted. “I know, I know. I'm not allowed to play adult games yet.” [trans:  _Yes, yes_ ]

“I'm sorry”, groaned Percy and ran his hands over his face. “She's very... Her brother was very...”

“No more words please”, grunted Octavian. “I do not need to hear more about your sex life with Danny's brother. She gave me more than enough information already.”

The Sea Prince bit his lips and stood up to get some physical distance between them.

“I'll go and check on what Danny wanted from us... You should take a cold shower first...”

“Ah, wait. One thing!”, called Octavian after him, waiting until the Greek poked his head into the bedroom again. “What was it you said earlier...?”

“Uh... nothing”, mumbled Percy. “Just wanted to tease you. A muffin recipe.”

“Oh...”, nodded the blonde a bit disappointed now.

The son of Poseidon left the bedroom and closed the door, also closing his eyes tightly. He couldn't possibly tell the augur what he had said. That would only lead to... more problems.

“Danny, where are you?”, called the Sea Prince curiously.

“In my room, hearing very loud music so you and Papa can play in peace!”, called Danny back.

The very persistent blush came back and Percy cursed beneath his breath, entering the girl's bedroom. The room was neatly tidy, as he was used to from Danny. The blonde girl was sitting at her table beneath the bunk-bed, her headphones on the ears. Percy shook his head and walked up to her to remove the phones to talk to her. Big, blue eyes stared up at him.

“But you normally play your games longer...”, blinked Danny confused.

“We don't play”, smiled the son of Poseidon and tilted his head.

“Oh...”, muttered the girl, her face falling. “But... Since we left home, you haven't played with anyone. But Brüderchen said that adults need someone to play with. Someone they really like. And I had hoped you and _Papa_ would play together...”

“Your... Papa and I”, started Percy slowly, not sure where this was supposed to go. “We will one day play with each other. But not now. You see, to play that game you have to know each other very, very good. But Octavian and I don't know each other that good just yet.”

“What was it you wanted anyway?”, asked a voice from behind them.

Once again, Percy blushed. Perhaps he should just stay in bed today...? It seemed the world was set on flustering him completely today. Danny grinned broadly at them as Octavian walked up to them to stand next to Percy, casually resting a hand on the smaller man's shoulder.

“I just wanted to ask if you're feeling better yet, Mama. Because Lizzy, Thea, Cally, Herc, Sammy and I wanted to go to the park together, but no one has time for us. So I promised so ask you if you would come with us... Pretty please? Mamileinchen? Papileinchen?”, begged Danny.

“What a thing?”, grunted Octavian and blinked dumbfounded.

“Well, Papi would be the diminutive form of Papa. Papilein is even more diminutive. Papileinchen is... she wants something very, very badly”, chuckled Percy amused.

“German has many diminutives”, snorted the blonde and shook his head.

“That's what I like about the language”, grinned the son of Poseidon and tilted his head.

“Anyway”, coughed the Brit. “No one else has time? I'll go and check that first.”

He grabbed Percy's hand and pulled the demi-god out of the bedroom and into the living room. Percy hadn't left the apartment in the last two weeks. Their friends often came over to check on him, but they had refrained from bringing their children, fearing that it would be too much stress for the Sea Prince. But by now, the son of Poseidon was heavily bored. Sure, Octavian and Danny were good company, but he missed the nature and fresh air and people.

“Rachel Dare”, ordered Octavian and threw a drachma into the little fountain in the living room.

“Hey, Tavy”, grinned the redhead through the rainbow. “Oh, hey, Perce! What's up?”

“Are Piper and Annabeth there?”, asked the blonde. “I wanted to know why no one in this bloody city seems to have time for their own children today!”

“Annabeth and Piper are out with Malcolm and Katie. You know, today is Malcolm's birthday. They're in New York. Really not near”, chuckled Rachel amused. “And I am off too. Lord Apollo requested my assistance.”

“Before I waste more money... What about the others?”, grunted the Roman.

“Frank and Chris are busy at the restaurant”, shrugged the oracle. “And Jason and Reyna are over at the wolf house, as requested by Lupa. As you may remember since you and Hazel had no time. Hazel is, as you certainly also know, busy with both your duties since a son of Mercury just arrived. Jake and Leo are at the garage, Will is in the hospital, Clarisse also has work and Nico is off doing Hades knows what. Funny, Hades most likely truly knows...”

“Okay, okay, okay”, groaned the blonde and waved his hands. “I give up. Suppose it's my turn sitting the babies... Bloody buggers...”

“Have fun, you two”, chuckled Rachel. “It's great bonding-time for you. A couple's true test.”

The rainbow vanished. Octavian groaned again. Percy frowned confused.

“They can't be that bad. Can they...?”, asked the son of Poseidon.

“Don't worry”, grunted the Roman. “I'll take care of it. You stay here and relax.”

“I've relaxed enough for a lifetime now!”, disagreed Percy and crunched his eyebrows. “I'll come with you. And you don't have a say in this. They are my friends' children. I have to meet them.”

“Yes!”, cheered Danny and jumped them from behind.

Figured she would eavesdrop on them. Percy chuckled amused and lifted her into his arms.

“How about you get ready and go over to get Cally while _Papa_ and I get dressed?”

“But no playing adult games now! I don't want to keep them waiting!”, warned the girl.

Both adults blushed at that and watched how the daughter of Apollo ran out of the apartment to go and get her best friend from next door. Percy shook his head and returned to the bedroom.

“So... you and her brother seemed to have played those adult games quite often”, noted Octavian.

“Uh...”, the Sea Prince blushed again. “Well... What can I say...? You can have much fun with me.”

“I completely believe that”, muttered the blonde beneath his breath, getting dressed.

“I can't wait to meet the children”, changed Percy the topic, fighting his blush.

“I'm sure you will love them”, chuckled Octavian. “Come and hurry. Thea hates it when others are being late. So we shouldn't let the lady wait.”

“If everyone is busy... where are the children, then?”, hummed the Sea Prince confused.

“Most likely with Rachel. Since she is the only one still at home. And Cally and Clarisse must be next door. Her shift doesn't start for another hour”, replied the Roman.

“Well then, let's go and fetch Cally”, grinned Percy once he was fully dressed.

Octavian offered him his arm and the Sea Prince took it reluctantly. Together they left the bedroom and then the apartment, crossing the hall and entering the neighboring apartment, the door still open. They heard the two cheerful voices of the girls.

“Clarisse? Where are you?”, called Percy curiously.

“Living room”, called the daughter of Ares back. “With your annoying brat and mine.”

“Mom!” - “Tantchen Clarisse!” [trans:  _auntie Clarisse_ ]

“Only stating the truth, girls”, shrugged the brunette woman.

Octavian and Percy entered the living room to find the three females gathered around the table, eating croissants. Though both children bolted up as they saw the two men, each grabbing one croissant for the way, Cally kissing her mom good-bye before coming to stand eagerly in front of the men, blinking curiously up at Percy.

“Auntie Percy, can we go now?”, grinned the black-haired girl.

She had quite a few trades from Hermes. The mischievous eyes and Chris' black hair. But other than that, she was a complete mini-Clarisse. The son of Poseidon ruffled her hair.

“You're really eager, aren't you?”, chuckled Percy amused.

“It's way too hot here!”, declared the granddaughter of Ares stubbornly. “I want to go to the lake.”

“Oh. The lake, mh?”, nodded the Sea Prince in understanding. “Well then, let's hurry.”

“And suddenly the little mermaid is eager too”, chuckled Clarisse. “Have fun, children.”

“Bye”, chorused the four of them before leaving.

Cally and Danny ran in front of them, happily chattering about school or something while the adults followed them. They left the mighty apartment complex. It seemed Cally was right. It was incredibly warm outside. Percy wouldn't have guessed. Though then again, he could have figured that Octavian had a good air-conditioning system. New Rome looked nothing like he remembered it. It was way bigger, so many more, modern houses. And playgrounds. It truly seemed as if the city had boomed since he had left.

“How far away does Rachel live?”, asked Percy curiously after a little while.

“She's staying with Piper and Annabeth since Danny took over my guest room. She doesn't have an own apartment here since she is the Greek oracle and supposed to stay at Camp Half-Blood. But with all her friends living here, she crashed at my place most of the time”, answered Octavian. “And the McLean-Chase family is only living down the street.”

The Sea Prince nodded shortly and followed obediently until they reached a beautiful house with a dove and an owl drawn above the entrance door. Most likely courtesy from Rachel. Cally was the first to reach the house and bang the door very, very loudly, until Rachel opened.

“You have your grandfather's manners”, muttered the oracle and shook her head.

“Be glad I don't sneak in like my other grandfather”, grinned Cally and stuck her tongue out.

“Cheeky little thing”, grunted Rachel. “Hello, Tavy! Perce!”

“Rach”, smiled Percy and hugged the redhead tightly.

“Kids! Come on, or don't you want to go anymore?”, called the oracle loudly into the house.

Within a second, four children stood lined up in front of her, grinning broadly. There was a little girl with straight, blonde hair and such a broad and sunny smile as only children of Apollo could have them. Next to her stood a little girl with curly blonde hair and curious gray eyes, staring at Percy from behind pink glasses. Then there were also mini-Hazel and mini-Jason.

“Wait, let me guess”, grinned Percy, pointing at them one after the other. “Lizzy, Thea, Sammy and Herc. Am I right with that?”

Thea's gray eyes sparkled. “Yes! That was really good, uncle Percy!”

“Where are we going, uncle Octavian?”, asked the shy voice of Sammy.

She attached herself to Octavian's leg, looking skeptically over at Percy. While Hercules didn't waste a second and ran past them all. Sammy frowned after him, rolling her golden eyes at that.

“Cally said something about the lake. What do you think, kids?”, smiled Octavian.

“Yey!”, chorused all before turning to Rachel. “Bye!”

“Finally”, sighed the redhead relieved and hurried to get back into the house.

Percy chuckled at that and turned to go too. Though he found a little girl attached to his own leg too. Blinking surprised, he looked down at the daughter of Athena. Thea blinked shyly.

“Uncle Percy”, whispered the child softly. “Is it true that you know mommy really long? Mom said you know mommy even longer than she does! Is that really true?”

Percy grinned and bend down to lift her up into his arm. “Yes. We have know each other ever since we were twelve. And we've been best friends since then too.”

“How was mommy when she was a child?”, asked Thea curiously.

So Percy fell into a re-telling of all the bravery of Annabeth Chase, having not only Thea as an attentive listener. The other children followed him like little ducklings too, listening curiously, the concept of adults once being children themselves completely fascinating to them. Octavian stayed silent and watched with fondness how Percy had captured them all. He was sure his Sea Prince would one day be a good mother to their own children... If he allowed Octavian to have him...

 

/break\

 

“When did you pack all that stuff?”, marveled Percy as he sat down on the blanket.

“As my childhood idol always sang; Be prepared”, snickered Octavian, sitting down next to him.

“That... explains so many things”, giggled the son of Poseidon amused.

They took food out of the bag the blonde had brought with them. Both men had already changed into swimming shorts (though Percy still wondered when and why Octavian had bought a pair of navy-blue swimming shorts for him!). The children were running along the shore of the lake, splashing water at each other. They were playing Quest together, Danny, Cally and Herc together against Thea, Lizzy and Sammy. Which team found Mrs. O'Leary first, won.

“She is very good at hide and seek. For being a gigantic hell-hound”, commented Octavian.

“I wouldn't say that”, grinned Percy and looked over at the shaking bushes behind them.

The mild breeze whistled through the trees and the Sea Prince closed his eyes self-indulgently. He laid down next to the blonde and rested his head on Octavian's chest. The Roman wrapped one arm loosely around his shoulders to keep him close, though still watching the children with hawk eyes.

“They are adorable”, mumbled Percy sleepily.

“Mh. I just don't like how close Hercules and Danny always get”, muttered Octavian.

“Don't get all protective-dad over her just yet. She's only four”, chuckled the Sea Prince. “We'll have at least ten more years until we have to worry about suitors.”

A soft smile spread over the augur's lips. Percy was talking about them. In ten years. He knew he already had his Sea Prince. He only had to wait for Percy to realize that too.

“Perhaps a son would be better”, mused Octavian lowly.

“We can't give her back and demand a new one”, laughed Percy and shook his head.

“No, not her”, grunted the Roman and rolled his eyes. “I meant for _us_. I've always thought about a daughter. But seeing as we will have to go through all the trouble with Danny... Perhaps a son would be better then. It would be safer...”

The son of Poseidon sat up some to look at him surprised and the Roman groaned mentally. He should learn to shut his mouth. When did he become to talkative anyway? All Rachel's fault!

“You forget that I am a son of Poseidon. My children would be the same”, smiled Percy softly. “Meaning if we had a son, he could get pregnant too if he would be gay. So you would have to go through the whole protective-dad thing with him too. Besides... Why only one?”

“True, true”, sighed Octavian and frowned. “Wait. What do you mean 'why only one'?”

The Sea Prince shrugged slightly, folding his arms beneath his chin on Octavian's chest. “I've always been the only child of Poseidon in the cabin. While all others had their siblings. I would want more than one child. Danny would be a good big sister and help us, certainly.”

The blonde smiled again, wrapping his arms around Percy's waist. They fell into a content silence.


	5. The Big-City-Life – Das Großstadtleben

5\. Chapter: The Big-City-Life –  _ Das Großstadtleben _

 

Two rather identical impish grins were aimed his way and Octavian wondered how it had come that far. The beautiful green-eyed creature in the navy-blue apron pointed at the scrambled eggs on his plate, looking at Octavian expectantly. As was the blonde girl opposite them.

“Rühreier”, sighed the augur. [trans: _scrambled eggs_ ]

“Good”, praised Danny proudly. “Now... next, that!”

She pointed at the orange juice in her glass while looking at him wide-eyed.

“Orangensaft”, named the praetor the drink. [trans: _orange juice_ ]

“Very good”, smiled Percy and patted Octavian's head as if the blonde was a dog. “And this?”

The hand Octavian would have loved to put to use somewhere else pointed at the jam.

“Himbeermarmelade”, mumbled Octavian, by now slightly irritated, bored and hungry. [trans:  _raspberry jam_ ]

“Okay, I think we annoyed _Papa_ enough for now”, smiled Percy amused. “Now he gets his treat.”

“Finally! I already started thinking you would never hand me that bacon you're constantly waving beneath my nose in that pan of yours!”, grunted the blonde with a glare.

The son of Poseidon frowned and looked down. “Oh? No, that's not the treat. I was just too distracted to give it to you. You think I would have been cruel enough to deny you your bacon if you would have failed that little vocabulary test?”

The Sea Prince and the daughter of Apollo giggled highly amused. Percy leaned over and shoveled a good amount of the crispy, delicious bacon onto Octavian's plate. While the Sea Prince put the pan aside, the blonde observed him with a confused frown.

“But... what else could be my-“

He was interrupted by the softest lips he had ever felt on his own. He automatically closed his eyes to thoroughly enjoy that moment. It fit perfectly, as if they were made to kiss each other. Licking over the soft lips, he gained entrance into the sweetest mouth ever. Even though it tasted like the salty sea. But somehow also sweet. It was that weird unique taste of Percy. It was nothing like their first kiss, back on the first night Percy had been at Octavian's. This one was softer, full of love.

“What brought that on?”, gasped the augur once they parted.

The Sea Prince himself looked a bit out of breath too and his cheeks were brightly red.

“I said you would get a treat for your efforts in learning Danny's mother tongue”, smiled Percy. “Or wasn't it the right kind of treat for you?”

“No. It was absolutely brilliant”, mumbled Octavian and licked his lips.

“You should start eating. Otherwise all your bacon will be gone.”

The augur blinked a few times and brought his attention to the sneaky little girl sitting opposite of him and stealing his bacon. He send her a scolding look before shielding his plate with his arm. Danny pouted a bit and got back to eating her raspberry jam toast.

“Anyway”, coughed Octavian as Percy sat down on the side of the table between them. “What are you two going to do today, meine Lieblinge?” [trans:  _my darlings_ ]

“You really have a thing for the pet-names, don't you?”, chuckled the son of Poseidon amused.

“I do enjoy them thoroughly, meine kleine Meerjungfrau”, smirked Octavian with a wink. [trans: _my little mermaid_ ]

“Stop translating that stuff for him, Sedanur!”, warned Percy and blushed.

“Why?”, chuckled the blonde wickedly and bit into his bacon. “I love the doublemeaning of Meerjungfrau. That it's a mermaid, but that a Jungfrau also is a virgin.”

He laughed softly at the deep blush on Percy's face until he got hit upside the head. With the baguette. He winced slightly and looked apologetically at his Sea Prince.

“Somehow I liked you better when you used to just be that jerk and not such a jerk!”

“You make absolutely no sense, Geliebter”, chuckled Octavian.

“I'll go to school. And I assume Mama will spend the day teasing you”, smiled Danny broadly.

Octavian frowned and leaned closer to Percy. “She's a mean, little thing for being four.”

“Only since she met you”, smiled the son of Poseidon back.

“Wait. What does she mean that you will tease me? Don't you have work?”

“Clarisse said the dojo stays closed for today since she has important things to attend”, shrugged Percy. “So yeah, I got the day off and will spend it teasing you.”

The son of Poseidon smirked at Octavian and winked seductively. Now it was the augur's turn to blush. It had been four months now that his Sea Prince had been living with him. And it seemed that Percy easily found the way back into society. He had started working at Clarisse's dojo as a trainer and it seemed that he enjoyed the job. And he also enjoyed having his friends in his life again.

All the time spend together made Octavian love his Sea Prince even more. It became harder and harder to watch the beauty without taking advantage of him. Like a week ago when Percy had forgotten his clothes while taking a shower and then walked through the apartment with only his towel wrapped around his waist. Too tempting to be denied.

“You're lucky I'm off-duty today”, grunted Octavian and raised one eyebrow.

“No, not lucky. The fates are just playing into my hands”, grinned Percy and winked.

“I have to go to school!”, announced Danny wide-eyed with a look on the time. “Behave! And don't play too many adult games! Ich liebe euch!” [trans: _I love you!_ ]

“Wir dich auch, Engelchen”, replied both her parents at the same time. [trans:  _We love you too, little angel_ ]

The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Octavian and Percy on their own. The praetor sighed and enjoyed his bacon (and the fact that their daughter wasn't stealing it from him anymore).

“So”, started the augur after a while. “What do you want to do today? Shall we go out?”

“So the others can decide to sit with us?”, chuckled Percy and shook his head. “You know that privacy is an impossible thing here. No, I want you all to myself today.”

“Excuse me?”, asked Octavian wide-eyed and chocked on his orange juice.

“You heard me right”, smirked the Sea Prince. “We haven't had much time to ourselves in weeks. Danny always manages to squeeze herself between us. Literally. When I was trying to make out with you last Sunday, she suddenly popped up in our bed.”

“You were trying to make out with me?”, repeated the blonde and blinked stunned.

“I said I need time to come clear with things. I didn't say I want us to grow old before we do anything”, chuckled Percy and started to clear the table. “You've been nothing but kind, understanding and wonderful to me since I moved in with you. You gave me all the time and space I needed. You even took care of Danny whenever I was... down because of what had happened, so she wouldn't see me cry. If you're even half as good a lover as you are a friend, then I would be stupid to not take my chances with you, Octavian. If you still want me, that is.”

He yelped in surprise as he was suddenly pulled down onto the augur's lap, staring into blue eyes.

“Of course I still want you”, growled Octavian possessively. “And you have no idea how happy you make me by saying this. So tell me, what are we doing today?”

“You've been all stressed lately”, murmured Percy, cupping the older man's cheek. “Being praetor and augur and father had been taking it's toll on you. So let me take care of you.”

“I would love to”, smirked the blonde and licked his lips. “How?”

“A shower first”, grinned the Sea Prince, laughing at the crestfallen look on Octavian's face. “You do understand that I meant we will take the shower together, right?”

Suddenly the Brit was glowing like a little child at Christmas, attacking Percy's mouth passionately, wrapping one arm around the younger man's back and laying the other beneath the Sea Prince's knees to lift the son of Poseidon up bridal style. Percy chuckled into their kiss, wrapping his arms around the broad shoulders of the blonde.

“Don't you think we go too fast if we do this?”, murmured Octavian reluctantly.

Not that he wanted to point that out, but after everything the Sea Prince had gone through...

“Well, let's see, in the months since I moved in here, we've already had ten dates. Even though you didn't notice. Or what do you think why I always wanted to go to the restaurant whenever Danny had a play-date with Cally and the others? Or that we went to the cinema together, only the two of us, even though Leo had been dying to see the movie too? Those were dates, stupid.”

Octavian blinked a few times, pausing in the hall to stare at the Sea Prince in his arms. When he looked back at it now, those had actually been... dates. With candle-light, sharing their dessert, holding hands in the cinema (because Percy was afraid of the zombies). How had he not seen that?

“You're a vixen”, grunted the augur irritated. “You could have told me so earlier, you know?”

“I'm sorry”, grinned the son of Poseidon and leaned up to kiss the praetor softly. “Now let's get naked, shall we? Or would you rather like to discuss our dates any further?”

“Having you naked, or talking... What a tough decision”, snorted Octavian.

“Still a jerk, I see”, chuckled Percy and bit the blonde's neck. “Now get moving again.”

The augur blinked down at his demanding... lover? Was that it? Did they finally cross that fine line? The line Octavian had always had a hard time seeing, with Percy running around his house half-naked, them raising a child together, sleeping in the same bed...

“You know, I think you have been mine since you moved in with me”, mused the blonde.

Contemplating that thought, he pushed the bathroom door open and entered. It was true, Percy may have claimed that he needed time for himself first and didn't want a relationship, but the young man's behavior was quite the opposite. Octavian shook his head. What good did it do to think about the past now, if the present meant for him to get Percy naked?

“Ah, ah, ah”, chided the Sea Prince and interrupted the augur as the blonde wanted to get undressed. “Didn't you listen to me, Tavy? I get to spoil you now, as a thank you for everything. So just... stand right here and look handsome, will you?”

The augur nodded silently, watching mesmerized how nimble fingers opened the toga and pushed it off Octavian's chest, warm hands slowly sliding down the well-trained chest, tracing the abs, licking his lips at the sight of the muscular torso. Octavian chuckled amused.

“You like what you see?”, smirked the augur consciously.

“Well, what I see now, I already saw before”, grinned Percy impishly. “But I'm eager to see what's a bit further down... What do you think? You show me yours and I show you mine?”

“We're no teenagers anymore, Perseus”, grunted Octavian and rolled his eyes.

“So you don't want to see me naked then?”, purred the Sea Prince. “Very well.”

“Tease”, growled the blonde annoyed. “Get out of those clothes. Immediately.”

“Mh... Bossy”, smirked Percy and licked his lips. “Now, I like that.”

The son of Poseidon grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head, flexing his muscles a bit more than necessary to show off. Once the purple shirt hit the tiles, Percy leaned up and kissed the corner of the augur's lips, snickering amused.

“You're drooling”, grinned the son of Poseidon. “What are you going to do when I'm naked...?”

“I'll jump you”, growled the praetor back, catching Percy's earlobe with his teeth.

“Perv”, giggled the demi-god, opening the augur's jeans.

He hooked his fingers into the jeans and the boxer-shorts, going into his knees to pull them down. His hands trailed up the strong legs, resting against Octavian's thighs.

“My, are you that happy to see me?”, laughed Percy amused.

“You know how much of a tease you've been the last few months?”, grunted Octavian displeased. “How many hard-ons I've had because of you? Because you always bend over, at least twenty times a day, with those tight jeans of yours. Of course I'm aroused at the prospect of finally touching!”

“What do you think why I did that?”, grinned the Sea Prince wickedly and winked. “So, you want to keep complaining or do you want me to take care of your... very big problem here?”

“Please take care of it to your pleasing”, chuckled Octavian amused.

He leaned back against the cool tiles in their spacious shower, holding onto the towel rail for support as the Sea Prince opened his mouth to embrace him. Octavian gasped at the feeling of the warm, wet cave around his cock. How long ago had his last blowjob been? Of course he had been in love with Perseus for many years now, but his primal urges had taken over often enough. And many were eager to spread their legs for the praetor, augur and hero. But ever since Percy had shown up in New Rome, Octavian had not even looked at another ass.

“Oh gods, yes”, groaned the blonde, spurting his cum into the hot mouth. “I'm sorry...”

The augur blushed slightly embarrassed, panting hard. Sea-green eyes, sparkling with amusement and mischief, stared up at him, Percy slowly standing up, licking his lips eagerly.

“No need to be sorry. Like you said, I forced you into a dry-spell”, smiled the Sea Prince softly.

“How about you get out of your jeans now? Before your button pops due to that erection?”

Now it was Percy's turn to blush. “You look hot when you come... And you taste good...”

Before he opened his jeans, he turned around and stepped out of the shower. Slowly pushing it down, he bend over once the clothes were down his ankles.

“You're a real bloody tease”, groaned Octavian hoarsely.

“Never claimed otherwise”, chuckled Percy, stepping back into the shower and closing the glass door. “Now let's get you and me all cleaned, mh?”

“I'm all yours”, said the blonde. “What do you have in mind?”

The son of Poseidon turned the faucet to let the warm water sprinkle down on them, slowly soaking their hair, caressing their skin. Octavian licked his lips hungrily, watching his Sea Prince. Percy's eyes were closed, a serene smile on his lips, his hands buried in his own hair. He was perfect.

“You're the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen”, murmured the augur in awe.

Sea-green eyes opened slightly. “You're not bad either.”

Octavian rolled his eyes, biting back a sneaky retort as he saw that his lover was grabbing the soap. The Sea Prince started to rub tender circles all over his lover's body, massaging the hard muscles until the soap foamed in colorful bubbles. Octavian moaned under the skilled touch of his younger lover, enjoying the attention. Once he was through with the blonde, he paid special attention to the already half-hard member of the augur, wrapping his fingers around it to massage it.

“Do you feel relaxed now?”, whispered Percy with a grin, pushing the blonde back under the warm water. “Then how about you make me relax too...?”

Octavian rolled his eyes and took the soap from the smaller man, pushing Percy roughly against the wall. The Sea Prince grinned mischievously, licking his lips in anticipation. His forearms rested against the cool, blue tiles, he looked over his shoulder at the augur, perhaps pushing his ass just a tiny bit more out than necessary. Though then again, when would it ever be too much?

“Don't look at me like that or we'll skip a few steps”, warned the blonde, his mouth dry.

He rubbed the smaller man's back slowly, sensually working the strained muscles. Raising one eyebrow at that, he slowed down a bit. Percy was acting tough, but it seemed he still was pretty nervous about this. Leaning forward, he started to kiss the Sea Prince's neck.

“Octavian”, moaned Percy while the augur sucked his neck. “Octavian, my muscles down there are so uptight, make me relax, please!”

“Minx”, muttered the blonde and shook his head.

The soap had somehow fallen down, Octavian hadn't even noticed. His hands wandered down the soaped back, to the two round, firm cheeks. He groaned at the feeling of those beneath his finger tips. How much he had longed to touch his Sea Prince's behind.

“Will you take care of it?”, asked the son of Poseidon with wide, begging eyes.

“First I should take a look at the problem, eh?”, snickered the blonde and licked his lips.

“What?! No!”, yelped Percy embarrassed and blushed suddenly.

“Now you're starting being modest?”, grunted Octavian amused.

Octavian knelt down behind the Sea Prince and spread the round, creamy cheeks.

“My, you're so nervous, Perseus”, noted the blonde with a wicked grin. “No need to be.”

“I—I'm not nervous, Perversling!”, hissed Percy irritated and blushed darker. [trans:  _pervert_ ]

“Ah, then why is your tight, little hole twitching like that?”, snickered Octavian.

The Sea Prince groaned and rested his forehead against the wall, trying to ignore the augur. “Don't talk like that, it's really embarrassing, Octavian!”

“You're adorable”, chuckled Octavian, pushing into it shortly, just to pull out again. “But if you don't let me talk, I won't touch you. So, what is it then?”

Percy moaned, pushing back against the finger, trying to get it back inside, but the blonde pulled away. Pouting slightly and blushing brightly, he turned wide, begging eyes on the Roman.

“Please touch me, Tavy! I—I haven't been touched like that in way too long... Don't be like that...”

“As if I could resist you when your hole is already so eager”, snickered the augur, pushing back in and earning himself a wanton moan. “You really like it, don't you? Gods, it's so soft. And so tight. I wonder if I can even fit my cock into it.”

“S—Stupid jerk”, hissed the flustered Sea Prince, looking over his shoulder. “Shut up!”

Octavian stood again to press his body against the younger man's, nibbling Percy's earlobe while thrusting two fingers into the tightness of the demi-god's ass. The Sea Prince moaned, arching his back to get more out of the feeling. It was something else entirely when someone else was touching him instead of always himself. The praetor's cock was rubbing against Percy's thigh, one of the broad hands started to fist the Sea Prince's member while a third finger joined the other two.

“My, you're clenching down on me all wantonly, needing more”, whispered the blonde, licking Percy's neck, the water pelting down on them, cooling them off a bit. “Such an eager hole. But tell me, Perseus, are you ready for me? Do you want me within you? Finally?”

“Yes, yes, please”, whimpered Percy, pushing back against the fingers. “Fick mich! Fuck me!”

The blonde removed his fingers, instead gripping the Sea Prince's hips to hold him in place. He pushed slowly into the tight heat until he was flush against Percy, both moaning. All words left them at the feeling of finally being united like that, not even teasing words found their way out of Octavian's mouth, the bliss of being within Percy just too much to bear. The drumming of the water against their skin was in the same rhythm as the blonde's thrusts, until they came. Both moaning each others' names at their joined orgasm, Percy's seed hitting the tiles, Octavian spraying his cum over the Sea Prince's back, having pulled out just in time.

“I'm sorry”, gasped the blonde wide-eyed. “I nearly forgot... I should have gotten a condom...”

“Nothing happened... I... guess it was the heat of the moment that got us carried away?”, whispered Percy back and smiled softly, turning to kiss the blonde. “Let's get dried off.”

“Why the hurry? Why don't we shower a bit longer?”, asked Octavian confused.

“Because if I stay with you naked here longer than ten minutes, I'll bend over and beg you to fuck me again”, grunted the son of Poseidon back. “So we'll dry off and move this to the bedroom where a box of newly bought condoms is waiting for us to empty it. Besides, we have something to do later on too. The girls invited us to their baby-party.”

“Baby-party?”, repeated the augur confused and turned the water off.

“You're working with Hazel every day of the week and you haven't noticed that she's three months pregnant?”, grunted Percy amused. “Oh dear, means I'll have to spell it for you too once we two manage to get that straight...? Anyway, Hazel is over her critical first third, something Reyna and Clarisse have passed a couple of weeks ago. The three wanted their children to be the same age and their men didn't have much to say about it. So now that Hazel is safe, the three of them are throwing a party. That's why Clarisse left the dojo closed today.”

“Okay, okay”, grunted the augur. “Party with three pregnant women later, sex with you now.”


	6. The Pregnancy-Craze – Der Schwangerschaftswahn

6\. Chapter: The Pregnancy-Craze –  _ Der Schwangerschaftswahn _

 

Percy smiled softly, yawning slightly as he shifted a bit, trying to get more comfortable on the couch. Though his boyfriend solved that problem for him by wrapping his arms around Percy's waist, pulling the younger man so that Percy was resting his head on Octavian's chest.

“You two are sickeningly cute together”, noted Clarisse with an affectionate eye-roll.

The daughter of Ares sat between her husband and Reyna. The two six-months-pregnant women shared a bowl of popcorn with peanut-butter and chilly. On Chris' other side sat the other Greeks – Rachel, who was engaged in a silent conversation with the son of Hermes, Piper and Annabeth, who were both already deep asleep, cuddled together, and Nico and Leo, who were both so busy making out that they probably wouldn't even notice if they'd change the movie now. Next to Reyna, on the other side of the U-shaped couch, sat her husband. Jason talked animatedly to Frank next to him about their wives' pregnancies. While Hazel leaned against Frank's shoulder, slowly dozing off. And next to the daughter of Pluto were the owners of the apartment, Octavian and Percy. The son of Poseidon was half listening to what Jake and Will next to him were talking, one eye on the television. When Johnny Depp suddenly crossed the screen, he frowned.

“What are we watching anyway?”, murmured Percy, slowly feeling sleepy too.

“I have no idea”, replied his lover, nuzzling the Sea Prince's neck. “And I don't care.”

“You two really are sickeningly cute”, grunted Reyna and raised one eyebrow.

“Leave them be”, chided Rachel disapprovingly. “They're still in their honeymoon-phase.”

“They have been practically dating for over half a year now, officially so for four months”, grunted Clarisse and rolled her eyes. “They should be past that by now.”

“I agree”, nodded her best friend and Roman counterpart sharply. “They should start to plan.”

“Rey, love. Leave them be”, muttered Jason, rolling his eyes. “They have their own pace.”

“What are you guys talking about anyway?”, asked Percy confused.

“Children”, chorused all his friends who were still awake.

The son of Poseidon looked pretty stunned, not noticing the warning glare Octavian threw at their friends. Even Leo and Nico finally stopped their passionate pastime for this now.

“They are right, dude”, nodded the Latino, licking his kiss-swollen lips. “I mean, if I had your power, I would like so already have a kid!”

He gestured widely with his hands, his back turned to his lover, so he failed to see the look in Nico's eyes. But Rachel saw. And she smiled warmly at the son of Hades. She – along with everyone else – knew how much the hyperactive firebug wanted a kid and how much it pained Nico that they would never have the chance to have their own, because the Italian wanted to give Leo everything he wished for. The oracle ruffled the son of Hephaestus' hair affectionately.

“It's probably better that you two can't have kids. Just imagine that little devil, setting everything on fire and then shadow-traveling away and blaming his zombie-friends”, grinned Rachel.

“Shut up, Dare”, pouted Leo, sticking his tongue out. “Our kid would be the most awesome!”

“So yeah, how is it?”, asked Nico, steering the conversation back to Octavian and Percy. “Plans?”

“I don't know”, shrugged the son of Poseidon reluctantly, fidgeting with his hands. “We haven't talked about such a thing yet... Why are you guys so curious about it anyway?”

“Your... time in the hospital had been quite a while ago now”, answered the doctor slowly. “And we started to wonder if you plan on having children of your own again after what had happened.”

“Of course I do”, huffed the Sea Prince with a slight frown. “I mean... I love kids and... I love Danny and I want her to have siblings. I just don't know...”

“That's understandable”, murmured Hazel and yawned, patting his hand. “Reyna and Clarisse are just curious if your kid will be anywhere close at age with theirs, or ours.”

“Theirs or yours?”, asked the son of Poseidon confused. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, two is my limit”, smiled the Roman woman softly. “But Reyna and Clarisse want another one. They had hoped for twins, but seeing as that's not the case, they decided to have another one right away so the kids will be as close in age as possible. But I'm content with two girls.”

“Yes, two kids will be enough”, nodded Frank, looking as exhausted as possible. “With Hazel being praetor and me having the restaurant, we are too busy for two babies.”

“Yeah”, nodded Clarisse, folding her hands over her already pretty round mid-section. “I mean, sure, Cally is pretty happy with having her friends. But a sibling is something else. Someone to always be around them, someone they will always have at their side. But between Cally and Sander – we finally agreed on a name for the baby-boy, by the way, we'll name him Chrysander – anyway, between Cally and him will be a six-years-gape. But if I'd get pregnant again as soon as possible after the birth, there would only be a couple of months between our second and our third child.”

“That sounds like a good plan”, nodded Percy curiously. “And Chrysander is a beautiful name.”

“What about you? Did you finally agree on a name?”, asked Jake curiously.

The gaze of everyone zoomed in on the two former praetors. Jason and Reyna shifted slightly.

“We thought about honoring our sisters”, nodded the daughter of Bellona slowly. “Thalia Hylla.”

“That's very cute!”, grinned Rachel and nodded approvingly. “They are so going to hate it!”

“You're so mean, Dare”, snickered Nico and nudged her.

“And you two?”, asked Leo, looking as Frank and Hazel.

“Emily Fey”, smiled Frank. “Since Hazel chose the names for our firstborn, this was my turn.”

“So... Two girls and one boy, mh?”, noted Octavian amused. “This will be fun...”

“Thank the gods we can get rid of them in the summer”, groaned Chris exhausted.

“Yes, thank the gods for Camp Half-Blood”, agreed Jason equally tired.

“And they're saying that with one child, but both want two more”, snickered Frank.

“As if they have a say in this”, huffed both Reyna and Clarisse irritated. “Wimps.”

The television made an odd sound that caught Percy's attention. The end credits.

“Oh. The movie is over”, noted the son of Poseidon surprised. “What have we been watching?”

“ _Sweeney Todd_ ”, replied Nico right away.

“ _Alice in Wonderland_ ”, came Rachel's answer.

“Wasn't it _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_?”, blinked Leo confused.

“I thought we were watching _Dark Shadows_... Weren't we?”, asked Hazel and yawned again.

“Does it really matter?”, scoffed Octavian and rolled his eyes. “It was some movie from Burton, starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Aren't they all the same?”

“Shut up, Tavy”, chuckled the son of Poseidon and pecked the augur's cheek.

“Anyway”, grunted Clarisse, slowly standing up. “It's getting late and half of us look half dead.”

“Time to leave”, agreed her brother, nudging his wife softly. “Come on, Haze.”

Percy grinned at the sleepy look on Hazel's face and stood himself to guide his friends to the door. It took them about fifteen minutes until at least Piper was awake again and everyone was finally at the door. The group left the apartment together to go next door. Chris unlocked their door and they were greeted by the loud, overwhelming noise of all the kids singing along to 'Once Upon a December'. It seemed the kids were still pretty fit, on contrary to their parents. They split up so everyone could collect their children before leaving for the night.

Leo and Nico were the first to go, the son of Hades already having one hand squeezing his boyfriend's behind as the two hurriedly left to get some 'alone time'. Rachel carried Thea, the little daughter of Athena deep asleep since somewhere between 'Mulan' and 'Lion King', according to Cally. Piper threw a grateful look at the oracle as she shifted her sleeping wise girl in her arms. She hadn't been able to wake her girlfriend. Thea had been sick the last week and Annabeth had scarcely been able to sleep at all, so now that their daughter was alright again, she needed the rest. Sammy animatedly babbled on about how awesome Mulan was, pulling her parents after her towards their house. Jason carried Hercules piggy-back style, the boy being totally psyched about his namesake and the movie. Lizzy looked at the remaining others over Jake's shoulder, shyly waving them good-night as she and her two fathers also left. Only the Rodriguez-family and Octavian, Percy and Danny remained in the cozy apartment. Danny and Cally sat on the couch, still talking about all the awesome movies they had just watched. Percy smiled softly down at them.

“Enough now, you two”, grunted Clarisse a bit irritated. “You can talk tomorrow during breakfast. Now it's way past your bed-time. Danny, go with your parents, Cally to your bedroom.”

“Yes, mom”, nodded the black-haired girl with a slight pout. “Night, Danny! Night uncle Tavy! Night auntie Percy! We'll come over tomorrow for breakfast. I want pancakes!”

“Of course, princess”, chuckled Percy amused and kissed her forehead. “Good night.”

Octavian lifted Danny onto his arms, the little blonde yawning widely. The two left together with the son of Poseidon, biding their good-byes to the Rodriguez-clan. Danny snuggled close to her father until they reached her bedroom. She pouted a bit when she was sat down on her bed.

“Get changed, Engelchen. We'll come and say good night to you then”, said Octavian.

Danny nodded obediently and watched how the praetor left her room. Octavian yawned widely himself and stretched as he entered the living room. He leaned against the door-frame and watched how his Sea Prince cleaned the last remains of their evening. The empty bowls of odd content (Octavian was grossed out by what Reyna and Clarisse ate these days!), the half-empty bottles of beer, the many cushions and blankets they had gotten to make it more comfortable. The augur smiled softly. Percy hummed silently to himself while he folded the blankets, it was just too cute.

“I'm sorry about earlier”, murmured Octavian as he walked up to help his boyfriend.

“About what?”, asked the son of Poseidon confused, putting the blankets away.

“About our friends”, grunted the augur slowly. “About them pestering you. I told them to leave you alone with that... topic. I'm sorry they still bothered you with it.”

“It?”, chuckled the Sea Prince amused. “You can't even say it. Children. And it's not a problem. Why would you want them to stop talking about it with me?”

“Perseus”, sighed the praetor with a frown, stepping up to his boyfriend to glare down at him. “I'm not stupid. I've already caught you off-guard when you were alone at home and I came earlier. When you sit alone on the couch, clutching your midsection, crying... I know you're not over it and I don't want to pressure you, that's why I didn't want them to confront you with it...”

Percy averted his eyes, biting his lips slowly. “You're stupid, Octavian.”

“Mh?”, asked the blonde confused, pushing Percy's hair out of his face.

“I mourn. Of course I mourn. I lost a child, Octavian”, whispered the son of Poseidon softly. “I will always mourn this loss, regardless of how many years will pass. Losing a child is not a pain that will go away. But it doesn't mean I'll stop living.”

Before the augur could say something else, their daughter interrupted them. “I want my Gutenachtgeschichte! Stop kissing, take care of me!”

“Is it your turn or mine with the bedtime story?”, asked Octavian thoughtful.

“Mine”, chuckled Percy, pushing away from the augur. “You finish cleaning here and get our bed ready. I want to just fall into it and sleep until tomorrow.”

“Will do”, smiled the blonde, kissing the corner of the Sea Prince's mouth.

The black-haired demi-god took her hand and followed her back to her bedroom. She was wearing her blue, frilly night-gown, her hair braided so it wouldn't be all messy in the morning. Danny hurriedly snuggled into her bed, glaring demandingly at Percy. The son of Poseidon chuckled amused and sat beside her, patting her head affectionately.

“What bedtime story do you want? _Rotkäppchen_? Or _Dornröschen_?”, hummed the adult softly, thoughtful. “ _Schneewittchen_ was yesterday, so that's out... And you just watched Disney's version of the _Froschkönig_. Come on, tell me what you want, Danny.” [trans: Rotkäppchen = _Red Riding Hood_ , Dornröschen = _Sleeping Beauty_ , Schneewittchen = _Snow White_ , Froschkönig = _Frog King_ ]

“I don't want a Märchen. I want you to tell me about my little sibling”, yawned Danny. [trans: Märchen =  _fairy tale_ ]

“Mh?”, asked Percy confused and stiffened some. “What do you mean?”

“Cally and Sammy and Herc are all so proud that they'll get little siblings”, replied the blonde girl, tilting her head curiously. “And when we left Europe, you said I would get a little sibling too. Where is it, Mama? When will it finally arrive here so I can play with it?”

“Oh Danny...”, sighed the son of Poseidon, suddenly very tired and sad. “It... took a detour.”

“Really?”, asked the daughter of Apollo skeptically. “And how long will it take?”

“I don't know... I don't know”, whispered Percy and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

He squeezed his eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. He had forgotten. Before they had left Europe, he had told her... But then... And he never knew how to tell her that the baby had died...

When he straightened again, he noticed that Danny was already fast asleep. Sea-green eyes trailed down to his own stomach. He remembered how it had felt to be pregnant. It had made him so... giddy and proud and happy... And then it had been over, all too soon. A single tear ran down his cheek. Octavian was right, he was mourning his loss. But he still wanted children. And waiting until he was over it would be futile. Because this was something he would never truly overcome. No one would simply overcome the death of their child just like that. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and stood. At the door, he threw a last, soft glance at the daughter of Apollo. Then he continued his way down the hall to their bedroom.

“That was fast”, noted the Brit curiously.

Percy blinked, lifting his gaze to look at his lover. The blonde laid sprawled on their bed, only clad in his boxer-shorts. The augur was looking at him quizzically and a bit confused.

“She was out like a candle within five minutes”, replied the Sea Prince softly.

“What's bothering you, my dear?”, wanted the praetor to know.

He frowned at his younger lover and sat up, scooting closer to where Percy was slowly sitting down on their bed. There was this worried gleam in those sea-green depths and Octavian didn't like it.

“Do you want children, Octavian?”, asked the son of Poseidon. “I mean, I know we've already talked about this before. But... was that serious? Do you really want a family with me?”

“Yes”, replied Octavian without missing a beat. “Absolutely.”

Percy yawned while getting rid of his clothes. “You sound very sure about it.”

“Because I know that I do”, shrugged the Brit, wrapping his arms around Percy's midsection, his hands resting on his Sea Prince's stomach. “I want children with you, Perseus. But most of all, I want you. And I meant it when I told you all those months ago that I would wait as long as you need me to wait. Because all I truly need is you.”

“Thank you”, smiled Percy softly and kissed the augur. “Let's sleep.”

“Okay”, nodded the blonde confused and laid down. “Sleep well, my love.”

“You too, Tavy”, yawned the son of Poseidon.

The augur shifted a bit, until his younger lover was safely nestled into his arms. After this exhausting day with their friends, it didn't take the praetor all too long to fall asleep. The demi-god in his arms however had a little bit of a harder time sleeping. After staring wide-eyed and nervously at the ceiling for about an hour, exhaustion got the better out of him and he drifted off into a not very deep sleep. Shuddering slightly, he seeked Octavian's warmth some more...

 

/dream\

 

“Mommy, mommy!”, screamed a cheerful voice.

Percy yawned widely and turned onto his back, blinking confused. The first thing he felt was a tender kiss being placed on his lips. The son of Poseidon grinned broadly.

“Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, mein Geliebter”, murmured a rough voice into his ear. [trans:  _Happy Birthday, my beloved_ ]

“Is it my birthday already?”, yawned the Sea Prince with a wicked grin.

“Yes, mommy!”, chorused two vivid voices. “We made breakfast for you!”

Percy laughed softly, turning to the source of the loud voices. Two little children, a very cute little boy with black, wild hair, a little shorter than his sister next to him. Her blonde hair was braided into two long pig-tails. The two were grinning broadly as they placed a tray with food on Percy's lap and sneaked under the blanket on either side of Percy.

“We made pancakes, mommy!”, exclaimed the little girl proudly.

“We burned some”, murmured the boy slightly embarrassed. “But daddy helped.”

“That is so cute of you”, smiled Percy, patting both of their heads. “But where is your sister?”

“I'm here, Mama! Just needed to finish your present!”, announced Danny's voice from outside.

In came a teenage version of Danny, with shoulder-long sun-blonde hair and a bright smile. She practically threw herself at her family, nearly causing the pancakes to fall.

“Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Mama!”, smiled Danny, kissing Percy's cheek. [trans:  _Happy Birthday, mom!_ ]

“And what are we going to do on my birthday?”, asked the son of Poseidon with a grin.

Octavian wrapped his arms around Percy's waist and shrugged. “Whatever you want. Right, kids?”

“Right!”, chorused the three children, smiling broadly at their parents.

 

/break\

 

Percy blinked awake and turned to look at Octavian. His Octavian. The right version. He shook his head slightly. What an odd dream. But it was pretty... nice. A serene smile tugged on his lips as he shifted some, his fingers drawing little signs on the augur's muscular chest.

“Are you awake already, Perseus?”, yawned the blonde confused.

Percy stared into Octavian's eyes for the longest of time, detecting the deep love in those sky-blue orbs, calculating the possibilities. “Let's make a baby.”

“What?!”, grunted the augur dumbfounded, staring wide-eyed.

“Not right now”, laughed the son of Poseidon amused at the shocked look on his lover's face.

“What do you mean by that?”, sighed the praetor, rubbing his eyes. “It's too bloody early in the morning for your riddled speech. You're worse than Rachel. Please explain this to me.”

“What I'm saying”, started Percy and sat up, straddling the Brit's hips, wrapping his arms around the broad neck. “Is actually pretty simple. I'm not saying that we need to start going at it like rabbits right away, I'm just... suggesting that we... stop using condoms and see how it'll go. If the fates think I'm ready too. If you want to, that is. I mean... we never talked about when you want...”

He yelped surprised as he suddenly found himself pinned to the mattress with the augur hovering over him, his eyes sparkling in a new and excited way. Octavian licked his lips, bridging the last few centimeters between them to kiss the son of Poseidon roughly.

“If you're asking me, I would agree to fuck you into this mattress right away, over and over and over again, until I would know that you're pregnant”, growled the Roman.

“So... that's a yes then?”, hummed the Sea Prince and blushed brightly.

“That's a yes, as many as you want”, chuckled Octavian, kissing his lover again.

Percy grinned into the kiss, wrapping his legs around the Brit's waist. “Okay... Then let's get started, shall we? I like your plan of doing it over and over and over again.”

His fingers curled into the blonde hair at the base of Octavian's neck. The Roman growled in want, locking their lips once again, lightly biting the plumb lower lips of his Sea Prince.

“Not now”, grunted the augur reluctantly against the rosy lips.

“Why not?”, asked the son of Poseidon with a slight pout.

“Because Danny is next door and the Rodriguez' will come soon too”, replied Octavian amused.


	7. The Twins – Die Zwillinge

7\. Chapter: The Twins –  _ Die Zwillinge _

 

Octavian smiled as he carried Sammy into the restaurant. The little girl was clinging to him and yawning slightly. She had spend the last night at their place since the constant screaming of her very new baby sister was getting onto her nerves. Taking a look around, Octavian noticed that he seemed to have arrived as the last one. The children – Danny, Thea, Herc, Cally and Lizzy – were sitting at a secluded table, already wolfing down three different types of pizza and a bowl of spaghetti. The tables were more or less pushed together so the little families could sit together as close as possible. Jason, Reyna, Clarisse and Chris were sitting at one table, Hazel, Frank, Nico and Leo at the table next to them. Rachel Piper, Annabeth, Jake and Will were a little cramped together at another table. The last table was occupied by Percy and his parents. Three cribs were standing in a corner, the youngest additions to their family peacefully sleeping.

The augur put Sammy down and the girl ran up to her friends. Octavian passed them too, ruffling Danny's hair on his way to his lover. With Hazel on maternity leave, he had spend practically the whole day working. He hadn't even been there to welcome Paul and Sally. The mortal couple had arrived somewhere around noon this day to welcome the newest additions of their family into life. And also to see their son. Not that they hadn't seen Percy at all since the son of Poseidon had arrived back, no. Percy had visited them and they had visited too. But they hadn't seen Percy like this yet. Octavian smiled and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on his lover's lips, his hand resting on the rounded midsection of his pregnant boyfriend.

“Hello, Paul, Sally”, smiled the Roman politely. “I hope your flight was good.”

“Octavian”, chuckled Sally with an amused gleam in her eyes. “How often do I have to tell you? Call me mother. You're the father of my grandchildren. We're family, boy.”

“And yes, our flight was good”, added Paul with a slight grin.

“Danny and I showed them around, you know how proud she is to go to school now”, smiled Percy.

“And how are the twins behaving?”, grinned the augur, caressing the rounded stomach.

“They are horrible”, grunted the Sea Prince with a frown. “One of them is constantly kicking my bladder. It's torture, I tell you. And it's all your fault.”

“Of course, love”, nodded Octavian with a soft smile and kissed the son of Poseidon.

“At least he knows how to handle Percy's mood-swings”, noted Paul amused.

“So, how is this going to work? I mean, once the children will be born”, said Sally, her hands folded in front of herself. “You're a busy man, Octavian. As augur and as praetor. How are you going to handle also being a father? You can't let Percy do this on his own. Especially not with twins.”

“Don't worry, Sally”, interrupted Hazel with a smile. “We'll have the next election for praetor in a couple of weeks. Both of us are going to step back. Family is more important than duty.”

“Good”, nodded Sally pleased. “And how are you, girl? I've already heard from Percy that your little Emily is being a load of work.”

“Oh yes, she's... loud”, sighed Frank exhausted. “But cute. So incredibly cute.”

“We're just glad we have so many willing babysitters”, chuckled Hazel.

“I think Milly is awesome”, grinned Leo broadly. “Can we watch her again this weekend?”

“No”, groaned Nico, his head hitting the table-top. “I want sleep and sex. Not necessarily in that order. But I don't need more diapers and screaming. Well, at least not that kind of screaming...”

“Oh, Nico, shut up”, grunted Jake and hit him upside the head. “Nothing I want to hear about my brother. Really not. Besides, I think it's time for the two of you to grow up too.”

“If you're so eager to babysit, how about you take care of Sander? With Danny coming over tonight to watch movies with Cally, that's more than I can take”, muttered Chris and yawned.

“You got yourself a deal!”, exclaimed Leo with a broad grin.

 

/break\

 

“Mommy, mommy, I want to dress up as Aurora on Halloween”, demanded Danny.

“Whatever you want”, yawned Percy. “But now be good and go to bed, yes.”

“You wait here, I'll put her to bed”, offered Octavian, kissing the top of his head. “Come here.”

“Yey! I want a story, a good story!”, grinned the blonde child, jumping her father. “Nighty!”

“Good night, angel”, smiled Paul and Sally.

The augur transported the little girl out of the living room, leaving Percy and his parents alone. The son of Poseidon groaned and stretched some. He was dead-tired. His parents had been visiting for one week now, looking at every corner of New Rome in astonishment, as always, and helping Percy with Danny and the pregnancy. He sometimes got little panic-attacks, fearing to loose the babies. But the presence of his mother helped him, it soothed him. Whatever happened, he always felt safe with her, because he knew she would always protect him.

“He's a good man”, murmured Sally thoughtful. “He really loves you. And Danny.”

“I know”, grinned Percy stupidly. “And he loves the twins. I never thought he could be that sweet, but he talks to them every night, telling them how lucky they are and how much they're loved.”

“I'm glad you're happy, Percy”, smiled Sally softly.

“I'll miss you”, hummed the Sea Prince a bit sad. “You've been a great help.”

“Oh yeah, didn't we tell you?”, asked Paul surprised. “We're staying the summer. I mean, it's holidays, no work for me. And Sally finds New Rome very inspiring.”

“Really?”, gaped Percy, his eyes sparkling in glee. “That's great!”

He leaned over to hug his parents tightly, both mortals smiling amused at his enthusiasm. Sally had already noticed that Percy was pretty nervous about the pregnancy and Paul had talked to Octavian, who had told him about his concerns. So the couple decided to stay a little longer, keep an eye on their family. Someone had to watch out for the kids, after all.

“I think it's getting late. How about we go to bed, Sally?”, suggested Paul.

“A good plan, my dear”, yawned the brunette and nodded.

“Good night, Percy”, nodded both his parents and left.

Percy stayed alone in the living room, patting Mrs. O'Leary's head, the big dog laying on the floor, deep asleep. The television was turned off, the lights were dim. For the first time in a while, he was all alone with his thoughts. These days, there was always someone around him. May it be Danny or Octavian, his parents or his friends, at work or when he was babysitting one of the youngest additions to their family. Now he finally had a minute to himself.

He rested his hands on his round stomach and smiled down at it. Octavian and him had tried for about two weeks, going at it like rabbits, until it had finally been confirmed. He was pregnant. With twins. From the man he loved. The thought made his heart flutter.

And every time he watched Emily or Chrysander or Thalia Hylla for his friends, he knew it was what he wanted. A baby. Family. Family by blood. And Danny too, she was so happy to finally get little siblings. Someone she could teach everything important in life. Like how to make pancakes or how to ride a pegasus. She was at least as excited as Percy was about this.

“Are you asleep already, love?”, chuckled Octavian's deep voice.

Percy startled out of his thoughts, turning to look at his lover. The blonde casually walked over to him, closing the curtains on his way. He fell down onto the couch right next to Percy, wrapping one arm possessively around the younger man's shoulders.

“Just been thinking”, murmured the son of Poseidon. “I'm tired. Carry me to bed.”

“Demanding much?”, grunted the augur amused. “You're not so light anymore, you know that.”

“Are you calling me fat?”, growled Percy dangerously. “Did you just call me fat?”

“No”, gulped the praetor and shook his head hastily. “I never would. I just meant, you being pregnant with twins, fourth month and all...”

“So you are calling me fat then?”, grunted the son of Poseidon darkly.

“Have I mentioned how much I love you?”, asked Octavian softly.

He huffed as he lifted his boyfriend up. Better not argue with a pregnant hero. Percy was dangerous enough as it was, but his hormonal state made him lethal. A chuckle escaped Octavian's lips as a thought crossed his mind. In a state like this, he would have chased the giants away with one angry look. A pregnant Percy would have frightened all their enemies away.

“You're not getting out of this so easy, mister”, muttered Percy with a pout. “You called me fat.”

“I did not, stupid”, chuckled the blonde amused.

“Oh great, first fat and now stupid? You're so sleeping on the couch tonight!”

The Greek glared up at his lover with angry sea-green eyes. Octavian groaned. Really, a pregnant Percy was hard to handle. But most of the times, the blonde managed. Entering their bedroom, he placed the black-haired man on the extra-soft sheets (because Percy preferred soft things ever since he was pregnant). Once laid down, Octavian started to slowly undress his lover until he had the naked glory of the son of Poseidon in front of him. Neatly folding the clothes, the augur sat down in front of the Sea Prince and took one of his feet, tenderly starting to massage it. Percy groaned.

“How was your day, love?”, asked the praetor. “Very stressful?”

“Pretty calm actually”, replied Percy, leaning back in bliss. “Will said the twins are fine. And he asked if we already picked names for them. We didn't. I mean... I'm four months pregnant and we still haven't even talked about names. What kind of parents are we going to be?”

“We're going to be fantastic parents”, reassured Octavian. “And the names still have a little time, wouldn't you agree, Perseus? But if you want to talk about it, okay.”

“Not now”, murmured the son of Poseidon, curling together. “Keep doing that thing with your amazing fingers and I'll doze a bit. Too much thinking now. I'm tired.”

“That is fine by me”, chuckled Octavian amused. “Let's relax for now.”

 

/break\

 

“I hate you, I hate you so much! You did this to me! Why are you so fucking fertile, why did you make me twins?! I want to get out of here, it hurts, you--”

“I know, love, but please, breath. One more to go.”

“One more?! I'll give you one more, you--”

“I think I never heard Percy swearing like that”, muttered Rachel concerned.

The oracle sat in the waiting room, Danny on her lap. She had her hands over the girl's ears so Danny wouldn't hear Percy's swearing. Next to the ginger sat Piper and Annabeth, both still in their working clothes since they had gotten the call while at work. Thea was sitting between them, a bit bored, reading a book. Lizzy was excitedly walking up and down the aisle, psyched by the fact that her daddy was at work and helping uncle Percy giving birth.

“I get that Clarisse and Reyna are at the dojo and that Nico took Mrs. O'Leary to go and fetch Paul and Sally”, muttered Chris, who was in charge of watching Lizzy. “But where are the others?”

“Leo and Jake are at work too, they couldn't just close the shop”, answered Annabeth and shrugged.

“And Hazel is helping the new praetors with some kind of problem. You know how much they depend on guidance”, added Piper with a smile. “Kids these days...”

“Uncle Jason has babysitting-duty. He is watching Herc and Thyl and Sammy and Milly. Because uncle Frank has the restaurant to run”, grinned Cally excitedly.

Chris nodded and shifted his baby son in his arms. That narrowed it down a bit. He heaved a sigh. Life with a pregnant Percy was hard, life with a baby was hard. But with Reyna and Clarisse pregnant again... He shook his head. Why was it so hard to deny the daughter of Ares? Now with the twins, their lives were going to be even more complicated and stressful. But also good. The son of Hermes smiled slightly as he looked into his son's brown eyes.

“Well, Sander. Those are going to be your new playmates”, whispered Chris.

“They'll be awesome”, exclaimed his daughter excitedly. “This is so cool!”

“We're late! Are we late? Are they born yet? Where is my son?”

“Hello, Sally, Paul”, chuckled Annabeth and stood, straightening her skirt. “He's inside.”

“You're not too late”, added Piper. “But I think Octavian could use some help.”

“Great. Now we have to sit and wait? I hate sitting and waiting”, groaned Paul.

The mortal collapsed next to Chris on a chair, closely followed by Nico. The son of Hades looked a bit exhausted as he watched Sally entering the room to hold her son's hand during this.

 

/break\

 

“Hello, little princess, I'm your grandpa. Can you say grandpa?”

“Paul, she's two hours old, she can't talk”, chided Sally with a fond smile.

Percy yawned and blinked slightly, still completely knocked out from the birth. His surroundings slowly came into focus again. He was in the hospital bed, with his parents standing in front of it, each holding a baby in their arms. Turning slightly, he saw that Octavian and Danny were laying next to him on the bed. A smile graced his lips. Poor Octavian. The things he had said to the former praetor during labor... He blushed at the words he had used.

“I'm sorry, love”, whispered Percy and kissed the blonde's cheek.

“No need to be, you gave birth to my children”, murmured the Roman sleepily, locking eyes with his lover. “You're excused for cussing and nearly breaking my hand.”

“You know you can't keep sleeping like that, you have much responsibility to handle now”, smiled Sally amused and turned towards them. “How about you introduce us to our grandchildren?”

Percy lifted his head, not feeling like moving any other body-part. Especially not since there was this incredibly great weight laying on his shoulder. Squinting some, he looked at Danny. Then he turned to look at his parents and his children. Sally and Paul walked closer to them to sit next to the bed. Sally was cradling a little boy in her arms, a little turf of black hair on his head and sky-blue, intelligent eyes. The girl in Paul's arms had light blonde hair and sea-green, innocent eyes.

“This is Pandora Octavia and her five minutes younger brother Julius Apoll”, smiled Percy.

“Pandora? Doesn't sound like a lucky name”, noted Paul with a frown.

“Oh, but it is. She kept hope alive. And she is my hope”, whispered the son of Poseidon.

“I must say”, yawned Octavian and sat up, reaching his arms out demandingly. “We do produce some adorable kids. Wouldn't you agree, Perseus?”

Paul chuckled and gave Pandora over to her father. The baby giggled as she was sat into her father's arms. Octavian smiled down at her and tickled her stomach, making her giggle even more.

“She'll be a real beauty”, murmured Percy, peering over at her. “Breaking many hearts, right?”

“Now, now”, laughed Sally amused, handing Julius over to the son of Poseidon. “Before you will have to worry about her breaking any hearts, you'll have Danny to worry about.”

“Oh please, don't remind us”, muttered Octavian. “She's problematic enough as it is, I don't want to imagine her being a teenager. It's a horrible thought to enter my mind... And my mind hurts enough as it is at the moment... I just want to sleep, for at least a week...”

“I doubt those two angels will give you much time for that”, chuckled Sally softly.

“I love you and you'll be good, right?”, smiled Percy, nuzzling his son's face. “Right, you're a good boy, Julchen, aren't you? A good, little boy. And you know your mommy loves you.”

Julius Apoll giggled in reply, reaching out to play with Percy's hair.

 

/break\

 

“You will be really, really awesome once you're older”, stated Danny, sitting cross-legged in front of the two baby-beds, her arms crossed in front of her chest. “Because your big sister will teach you how to be awesome. But for now... you're just plain boring!”

She groaned and threw her hands up into the air, falling back onto her back. For the past four days since her mother and her new siblings had finally come home with her and her father, she had spend as much time as possible observing the twins. Waiting for them to do something cool or something fun or something remotely interesting. But all they had been doing so far was crying, sleeping, pooping and drinking. It was irritatingly boring.

“Danny? Are you very disappointed in your siblings?”, chuckled Percy from the door-way.

“Yes”, groaned Danny with a pout, staring up at him. “When will they start being interesting? When will they talk and walk and do stuff? I want to play with them!”

“They're too small for that, Sedanur”, smiled the son of Poseidon and got into his knees. “How about you go and bug Calandra? I'm sure she's as bored with Chrysander as you are with the twins. Go and play with her for a bit, mh?”

A thoughtful look crossed Danny's face before she sat up and ran out of the room, not regarding Percy with another word. The son of Poseidon shook his head in amusement at her attention span. Then he walked over to stand between the two baby beds.

“I hope you two are at least a little less ADHD than your big sister”, murmured Percy.

“Very wishful thinking, my beloved”, grunted Octavian as he entered the children's bedroom.

“One can dream”, shrugged the son of Poseidon, turning slightly to look at the blonde.

“How was your day, Perseus?”, asked the augur, resting his head on top of Percy's.

“Stressful, those two are very demanding”, sighed the Sea Prince. “And Danny is really annoying if she's bored too. I'm so glad when school starts again and I'm at least rid of her.”

“I'm sorry I had to leave you alone with them the whole day”, replied Octavian with a frown. “I know they're a hand full. But this augury had been very important.”

“I know. I didn't say anything, idiot”, grunted Percy and rolled his eyes. “I can handle our children on my own too. Don't portrait me like a nagging wife or you'll sleep on the couch.”

“Dully noted down”, nodded the blonde with a slight smile.

“They're beautiful”, murmured Percy, staring down at the babies in awe. “They're beautiful and they're ours. We made them. Is it stupid that I'm still fascinated by that fact...?”

“No, it's not”, reassured Octavian softly. “I marvel at it every morning when I wake up. They're perfect. The two of us managed to make those perfect, little human beings. And it is amazing.”

The blonde leaned down some more to place a tender kiss on his lover's cheek. Percy smiled and leaned back against his boyfriend's broad chest. Two strong arms circled his waist.

“I love you so much, Octavian Simmons”, murmured the Sea Prince a bit exhausted.

“I love you too, Perseus... Simmons”, grinned the Brit.

“Mh?”, grunted the son of Poseidon with a frown. “What was that?”

“Just... tasting the name”, shrugged Octavian slowly. “What do you think?”

“About what? The name?”, asked the smaller man confused. “What is going on, Tavy?”

“What do you think about the name? I like the sound of it. Perseus Simmons. What about you?”

“If you're asking me to marry you, I'll kick your ass. Because this is not an appropriate way to ask for my hand”, grunted Percy with a frown. “I demand a pick-nick at the beach and you getting down onto one knee, with the setting sun behind you. Am I clear?”

“Clear and understood, my love”, smirked the blonde. “I better talk to Lord Apollo about that sunset then and get a pick-nick basket packed, huh?”


	8. The Future – Die Zukunft

Epilogue: The Future –  _ Die Zukunft _

 

“You taking your leave already, Octavian?”, asked Nico from his office, sticking his head out.

“Special day. Gotta be in time”, smirked the Brit and winked.

“Oh, what I would do for another day of just being alone with Reyna”, muttered Jason from the office opposite of Nico's. “Enjoy the evening and congratulations to the two of you.”

“Thanks”, nodded Octavian as he left the lawyers' office.

Once outside he breathed the fresh, cool air in deep and made his way. Octavian hummed a happy tune as he strolled through the city. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his mood was so light and happy that people who had known him as a teenager would probably think he had gotten abducted by aliens and exchanged for a replica.

Ten years.

It were exactly ten years now. Ten years since he had married the most beautiful, most charming, most amazing young man on this planet. It was their anniversary and even though both of them found it quite ridiculous to celebrate those, the tenth anniversary was worth it.

“Daddy, daddy, daddy! You're off work early!”, screamed a very loud, girly voice.

Octavian just had time to turn around before his daughter collided with him, wrapping her arms around his midsection. The blonde Roman looked down at the girl, her long, blonde hair falling in waves around her thin frame, her bright, sea-green eyes sparkling up at him.

“Shouldn't you be at school, Pandora?”, asked the man in a warning voice.

“No, we're on break, uncle Octavian”, smiled a young Asian girl.

The Roman turned some to face the other children sitting around in the park.

Jupiter Perseus Grace sat at the fountain, together with Charisma Rodriguez and Emily Zhang. The youngest Grace looked remarkably like his mother, with black hair and dark eyes. He was brave, though still a little too young to show it just as much as he'd like to. While Carry Rodriguez looked like Clarisse must have looked like as a kid. The three kids were playing some kind of card-game.

Aside from the three children of war, there were three more children, sitting on a blanket in front of the fountain. One was JP's slightly older sister – JP because, really, which kid would enjoy being named Jupiter Perseus? Thalia Hylla Grace was, unlike her siblings, a perfect mixture of her parents. Their mother's dark hair and their father's electric blue eyes. Which, all in all, made her quite look like her aunt Thalia. The only Grace girl was talking animatedly with Octavian's son and pride, the augur of Camp Jupiter. Julius Apoll Simmons. His slightly longer, black hair was waving in the fresh breeze. Around his shoulders was not only Chrysander Rodriguez' arm, but also the boy's jacket. Octavian frowned at that. He didn't like how close those two were. But whenever he brought that topic up, Percy dismissed it by saying they were just children and it was only friendship. The adult shook his head and sat his daughter down.

“A break, eh? And all you got to do with yourselves is sitting around, gossiping?”

“We've not gossiping, dad”, grunted Julius and rolled his eyes. “We're planning the next War Game. See? Not doing something useless. What are you doing here anyway? Danny said you'd take the day off to surprise mommy with something.”

“I'm on my way home, Julchen”, grunted Octavian. “And I'd appreciate it if you two would get to stay with some of your friends tonight. And Danny too.”

“Oh yes! Carry, Sander, we'll stay with you tonight!”, grinned Julius broadly and turned to look up at the slightly taller boy. “That's alright, isn't it? We can watch that movie together!”

“Awesome!”, exclaimed Sander with a huge grin of his own.

“But you'll have to tell Danny yourself. We won't see her today”, hummed Pandora thoughtful. “Her last classes got canceled, she's at the stables with her friends.”

“Very well, stopping by at the stables before going home”, nodded the adult with a sigh and turned to leave again. “Be good, kids. And listen to your teachers!”

The seven of them waved as Octavian left again. The day was quite chilly and for a moment he wasn't sure if his plans for the night were all that good. Though then again, he knew ways to keep Percy warm. Smirking broadly, he headed over to the stables to check on his oldest child. He was proud of Danny. At first, when the twins had been born, he had feared that she may act out, feeling neglected because the babies needed so much attention or feeling left out because the twins were Percy's and Octavian's by blood. But Danny was way too captivated by being a big sister to be jealous or anything. She had grown into a beautiful, young woman.

“Papa! What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with _Mama_ already!”

Octavian shook his head and looked up from the ground to find Blackjack galloping towards him, sixteen-years-old Danny on his back. A beautiful, young woman with a sunny smile on her lips. Two other horses galloped up to them, Arion with Sammy on his back and Scipio with Hercules on his back. Sammy was a tall, dark beauty, very much like her mother. While Hercules was even broader than Octavian remembered Jason to be.

“I heard you're already out of school for the day”, smiled Octavian.

“Yeah. Thank the gods”, grunted Cally as she walked up to them.

She hated horses, but having all her friends go somewhere without her? No way in Hades. The black-haired teenager looked a bit grumpy, though her mood lifted as she saw her neighbor.

“How are you doing, Calandra?”, asked the blonde with a nod. “I hope you have plans for the evening. Because your lovely little siblings are expecting guests.”

“Oh, come on, uncle Octavian”, groaned the daughter of Clarisse. “Can't you get rid of your children somewhere else? I don't want to babysit...”

“We could go to the movies?”, suggested Danny thoughtful. “Oh! Better idea, we go to visit New York together! With Mrs. O'Leary we'd do that in time for dinner.”

“Great plan. I miss Sally's cooking”, agreed Herc.

“Where are Lizzy and Thea?”, asked Octavian as he counted them through.

“Praetor duties”, shrugged Sammy. “They're pretty busy. But I'm sure they'd join our trip too.”

“Well then, kids. Have fun and greet mom and dad”, nodded Octavian.

“Will do! And have fun”, grinned Danny broadly. “But not too much! I don't need more siblings!”

“Shut it, Sedanur”, warned the former augur and praetor half-amused.

The teenagers giggled amused as they watched the adult leave. Okay, first point crossed out from his list. Getting rid the kids. Next station was getting the present for his husband. A pleased grin laid on his lips. Even after ten years, he never got tired of that. Calling Percy his. Life was good.

The machine shop came into his view and he had to grin a little more. He just hoped Percy would like the present. Loud voices could be heard even from outside the shop.

“What are you guys up to in there?”, grunted Octavian as he entered.

“Trying to tune her down”, muttered Jake exhausted.

The son of Hephaestus looked dead on his feet, his face laying on the table-top. His husband sat next to him, only half amused. The blonde doctor looked pretty exhausted himself.

“Hello, Will. I wouldn't have thought to meet you here”, greeted the Roman.

“Well, Jake called me all desperate to help”, chuckled the son of Apollo, shifting the weight in his arms. “He said she's been crying the whole day now. I brought her some medicine.”

“Medicine? Are you sick, little angel?”, asked Octavian concerned.

He came closer to look over Will's shoulder at the baby in his arms. The little girl was, by now, deep asleep, though she did look a little in pain. He frowned down at the baby.

“The babysitter called me earlier and told me she's sick. I didn't know what to do!”, groaned Leo as he entered the shop from the backdoor. “I mean, she's never been sick before. So I asked Jake for help, but some help he is... It's good to have a doctor in the family though, right Festus?”

The Latino smiled broadly as he took the baby from Will, cuddling her close.

“Please stop calling her that”, grunted Octavian. “It sounds ridiculous.”

“It means happy”, pouted Leo and stuck his tongue out at the blonde. “And she's a happy child.”

“Horrible nickname though”, agreed Jake. “She'll hate you for that.”

“No you won't”, grinned the younger son of Hephaestus, looking down at the baby, caressing her cheek. “Right, Maria? You won't hate your daddies.”

“Technically speaking, Nico is her brother”, noted Octavian with a frown.

“Just shut up, Simmons”, grunted Leo and rolled his eyes. “Your package lays on the other table.”

“Thanks”, nodded the former augur. “I hope she'll get better soon.”

The daughter of Pluto babbled slightly, as if she would agree with that. Octavian chuckled amused and walked over to the other table. The kid was cute, well, most babies were cute. A daughter of Pluto, whose mother got blasted by Jupiter. After much fighting and anger between the gods and also between the demi-gods, Nico offered to take care of his half-sister. Which had made Leo the happiest, little demi-god in all of New Rome. The two struggled, from time to time, but they always had their friends helping them with the baby.

“I'll be off then. I have to catch dinner and a husband”, smirked Octavian, biding his goodbye.

Throwing the little package up and catching it again, he walked out of the shop again. All that was left to do now was getting the food – Percy's favorite from Frank's restaurant – then setting everything at home and in the end collecting Percy. Now he was feeling a little giddy.

“Simmons, you moron!”

“Hello to you too, Annabeth”, nodded Octavian, closing the restaurant's door behind him.

“You know how pouty Percy had been because you didn't even say anything about it being your anniversary”, chided the daughter of Athena disapprovingly. “I mean, I know you guys don't celebrate these kind of things, but really.”

“Stop preaching, Annabeth”, chuckled Hazel, sitting next to her.

“Yeah, love. Give him a chance to breath first”, agreed Piper.

“You going to join us for lunch?”, asked Rachel curiously.

“Frankly enough, no. I don't have the time to chit-chat with you girls. I have a husband to seduce”, smirked Octavian. “I'm here to get the special dinner I ordered by Frank.”

“At it, at it!”, called Frank from the kitchen and pushed his way out into the room. “Here you go!”

“Thanks a lot, Frank, I owe you”, grinned the blonde, taking the plastic bags from the Canadian. “I'll see you tomorrow. Gotta dash, things to do, husband to impress, the usual.”

Without another word, he rushed out of the restaurant again, the least thing he needed was another lecture by his husband's best friend, really. With the present in one hand and the food in the other, he made his way through the by now busy streets of New Rome to reach home as soon as possible. He needed to clean up (the twins had wracked havoc over their house last night during a movie night with their friends), do the laundry and prepare everything for a romantic night before--

“Tavy! Tavy, wait up! What are you doing running around the city like that?”

The Roman groaned. On any other occasion he would appreciate running into his beloved husband, but not right now. He turned slightly to look at his husband. Percy was running towards him from the dojo, where Octavian could see Reyna and Clarisse training a class of teenagers.

“Hello, love”, sighed the Roman a bit irritated and desperate.

“Oh, please not too much enthusiasm”, snorted the son of Poseidon with a glare before noticing the bags. “What's that for? Food from Frank? And what's in the package?”

“Go back to work, Perseus”, ordered the former augur sternly.

Percy frowned curiously and stole the box from Octavian. Not that the blonde had much chance to protect it since the food was heavy in his other hand. The Sea Prince peered inside and gaped.

“What's that for? I mean, why do you...”

“For the love of it, I had planned a romantic evening for us”, groaned Octavian annoyed.

“Oh... And I just... ruined it, didn't I?”, asked Percy sheepishly, playing with the little pendant, blushing slightly. “And this is a present for me, isn't it?”

“Yes. To everything. You're horrible”, grunted the blonde.

“Just kiss your man and get him home, Jackson!”, ordered Clarisse loudly.

“Yes, ma'am”, grinned Percy and leaned up. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tavy!”

He wrapped his arms around Octavian's neck to pull him into a passionate kiss. The blonde sighed. Even though his surprise was now ruined, it was impossible to be angry at his husband.

“Happy anniversary, Perseus”, murmured the Roman. “I love you more than you'd ever know.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea of how much”, grinned Percy, rubbing his nose against Octavian's. “So... how about we turn that romantic evening into a romantic afternoon and eat the dinner for lunch? You heard Clarisse, she just gave me the day off.”

“Very well. Though then I am not going to clean up the house”, warned Octavian.

“Aw”, pouted Percy. “Then I'll go back to work and we'll see each other tonight, yeah?”

“Oh no, you're not getting away from me again so easily now”, smirked the blonde, capturing Percy's lips again. “You'll come with me to my cave, and if it means I'll have to pull you, I don't care. Then we'll make a fire and you'll show me just how grateful you are.”

“I like when you get all caveman”, grinned Percy and licked his lips. “It's so un-British of you. I love when you're being all un-British. It's fun.”

Octavian grunted and wrapped one arm around Percy's waist to steer him along the streets. The smaller man leaned against his shoulder, still playing with the pendant.

“I'll be all un-British to you later on”, promised the Roman slightly amused and licked his lips.

“What does the pendant mean?”, asked Percy. “I mean, I'm not stupid. I know it's a trident. But why did you get me a golden trident?”

“It's a weapon”, replied the blonde. “Press the emerald in the middle and it'll turn into full-length.”

“You're giving me a weapon. For our anniversary”, blinked the Sea Prince before grinning broadly. “You're so sweet! You just know me.”

“And I heard Pandora asking you about why you never fought with a trident even though you're a son of Poseidon. So I thought... with this you could train with her...”

“You're really sweet, Octavian”, grinned the son of Poseidon and leaned up to kiss his husband. “I'm glad. No, I'm grateful.”

“Grateful?”, repeated the Brit a bit confused.

“Grateful for all of this”, nodded Percy. “For this life. For you. For our children.”

“Well, then I'm grateful too, my love”, smiled the blonde and leaned down to place a kiss on top of the soft, black hair. “How about we eat together in front of the television?”

“You thinking about Doctor Who?”, chuckled the son of Poseidon. “Is that your great definition of a romantic afternoon? Watch the Doctor running around, saving planet?”

“I'm British, leave me alone”, grunted the blonde and blushed slightly. “The eighteenth season premiers in a few and I...”

“Oh. You wanted to watch it while cleaning”, laughed Percy.

“Shut up, the sixteenth Doctor is my favorite”, pouted Octavian. “Besides, you said you wanted to show me how grateful you are. How about a little role-play-game, my companion?”

“You are aware that the Doctor is a Time _Lady_ at the moment, are you?”, grunted Percy with a frown. “And if anything, I'd only go with Captain Jack anyway.”

“Blasphemy”, muttered the Roman, tightening his grip on his husband. “I love you anyway.”

“I know you do”, grinned the son of Poseidon, pecking his cheek. “And I love you.”

 

_~*~ The End ~*~_


End file.
